The Government says no to new legislation. It has not found any gaps in the law. 

Spiking – no need for new law

The Government has said it will not introduce new laws on spiking. Almost 5,000 reports of needle and drink spiking were made to UK police forces over the course of 2022. The Government argue that there are already several offences which cover spiking incidents and it has not found any gap in the law. Spiking is illegal under current laws, for example the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which says it is an offence to administer a substance to another person without their consent, with the intention of “stupefying or overpowering” them so as to enable another person to engage in sexual activity with them.  MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee are among the many calling for new legislation to improve the reporting, investigation and prosecution of spiking incidents and strengthen victim support.