Boycotting all bars and clubs in the city of Bath on Friday 29 October, in response to recent increases in Drink Spiking.
Content warning: drink spiking
Every student has the right to feel safe on a night out. We’ve recently been made aware of incidents of drink spiking in several venues in Bath. Drink spiking is a crime. As your SU, we want to make sure your safety and wellbeing is a priority, and we will continue to actively condemn any activity that puts student safety at risk.
Bath Uni Big Night In:
Drink spiking is a crime, and it is never the victim’s fault. It is the responsibility of bars and clubs to implement measures and resources to ensure safety from drink spiking is a priority. We need to hold venues accountable – it is extremely clear that current provisions may not be adequate and it’s time each venue took their responsibility for student safety seriously.
That is why we are inviting you to join us in Bath Uni Big Night In - boycotting all bars and clubs in the city of Bath on Friday 29 October.
This boycott calls for bars and clubs in the city of Bath to:
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Increase security searches
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Extra vigilance from venues security
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Increase CCTV coverage and quality
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Have free spike/drug testing kits available
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Have drink protectors available
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Increase welfare and spiking awareness for staff and security
Please join us in staying at home and not attending bars or clubs on Friday 29 October to hold the following venues accountable for their safety protocols and preventative measures:
Komedia, The Second Bridge, Labyrinth, The Plug & Tub, Belushi’s, Zero/Zero, Moles, Sleight Bar, Sub 13, Circo Cellar Bar and Cocktail Lounge, Walcot House, Revolution (not an exhaustive list).
We’ve chosen Friday 29 October to ensure this boycott has the biggest impact possible. Venues will be expecting high numbers due to it being a Friday night and the weekend of Halloween. Boycotting on this day will make sure the campaign is impactful and our voices are as loud as possible.
Follow @BathUniBigNightIn on Instagram for more information and to stay updated.
The Plug & Tub:
We wanted to talk about the safety provisions against drink spiking at our SU Bar, The Plug & Tub. The Plug & Tub has existing precautions in place to ensure student safety is the absolute priority. The venue has an event control room which looks over the night club when operating, with 17 CCTV cameras. Both bars have Spikeys which are available for you free of charge if you ask a staff member. All bar and security staff are trained, including on the use of our SU Safe Taxi Scheme, which gives you a safe transport option home when needed.
But The Plug & Tub has more to do. The staff will be increasing on-the-door searching and additional training will be incorporated into the nightly bar briefing for all staff. Today, we’ve ordered a supply of anti-spiking lids which will be available for you at the bar. We’re also looking into introducing a safe area in the Student Centre for students to use if they feel unwell and need to rest.
What to do if you think you’ve been spiked:
Drink spiking is a crime, and we encourage all victims to report any incidences to the Police (ideally within 12-24 hours). Additionally, you can seek support from the University Wellbeing Service or the Students’ Unions independent Advice & Support Centre. If you wish to report any incidences to the University or SU, you can do so through the Report and Support tool.
If you think you or somebody you know has been spiked, here’s what to do on the night:
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Tell a member of staff or security.
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Stay with the person or somebody you know and trust and keep talking to them.
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If you notice their condition deteriorates ring 999 for an ambulance.
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If you are living in campus accommodation, ring the emergency security number or use SafeZone before calling 999.
Signs of drink spiking:
We also want to give you the information to be aware of signs of drink spiking so your nights out can be as safe as possible:
Signs to look out for with your drink:
Signs to look out for in yourself/others:
What we will be doing going forward:
In an ideal world, none of us would have to know the signs of drink spiking and we hope that we can work towards no students having to be concerned for their safety on a night out. Putting pressure on bars and clubs to implement these changes is the first step, but there is more work to do.
Your SU President, Annie, and your SU Community Officer, Meg, are working with members of the Student Community Partnership (SCP), Bath Spa Students’ Union, the local police and University Student Services to address and tackle this issue collaboratively across the City of Bath.
If you have any questions about the action we’re taking to tackle drink spiking, please contact your SU President, Annie (supresident@bath.ac.uk), or your SU Community Officer, Meg, (sucommunity@bath.ac.uk).
Additional Resources:
More information about drink spiking can be found here: www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/staying-safe-while-drinking/drink-spiking-and-date-rape-drugs
Petition for the government to fund free drink spiking test kits for all bars: www.petition.parliament.uk/petitions/597143