Safe Sips: Navigating Drink Spiking is a free event in which members of ARU’s Spiking Research Team will explain what drink spiking is, outline its effects on survivors and share the latest national findings.

Since 2021, forensic science academics at ARU have partnered with the UK’s leading alcohol charity Drinkaware to track the prevalence of drink spiking through national surveys, undertaken by YouGov.

The most recent survey, carried out in summer 2025 and involving 7,256 UK adults, found that approximately 2% of adults reported being a victim of drink spiking in the previous 12 months. When extrapolated across the UK population, this equates to nearly one million people.

However, fewer than one in four (23%) of those who experienced drink spiking contacted the police. The most common reasons given for not reporting were not believing action would be taken by the police (39%) and not clearly remembering what had happened (38%).

Women were more likely to experience spiking, accounting for 58% of cases. The most frequently reported locations were bars (41%), social events (26%) and nightclubs (25%), with the highest number of incidents reported by adults aged 25-34.

Drink spiking involves adding a substance to someone’s drink without their knowledge. Substances may include illegal or pharmaceutical drugs, or alcohol, and incidents are most commonly associated with sexual assault, physical assault, theft and “pranks”. Giving someone stronger alcohol than they asked for, for example a double shot rather than a single, would also be classed as drink spiking.

As well as investigating the scale of drinking spiking in the UK, the ARU Spiking Research Team carry out extensive research into the types of samples that can be tested following suspected spiking and the detection kits and protective products that are marketed to the public.

The Cambridge Festival event will be led by Dr Lata Gautam, an expert in forensic and analytical chemistry, whose research focuses on drug analysis, the detection of drugs in spiked drinks and drug-facilitated sexual assaults.

Dr Gautam, Associate Professor in Forensic Science at ARU, said: “Drink spiking has increased in the public’s consciousness in recent years, but our latest findings show that far too many cases still go unreported. With more than three quarters of victims not coming forward, it’s vital that we raise awareness about the importance of contacting the police and seeking support.

“At the same time, there remain significant challenges in identifying the different substances used in spiking. This talk will share our latest research into analysing drink residues, as well as our evaluations of drink testing kits and other anti-spiking products that are being sold to the public.”

Annabelle Bonus, Director of Research, Strategy and Impact at Drinkaware, said: “Drink spiking is a serious crime that can happen to anyone, anywhere. With our survey suggesting that more than a million people are affected each year, it is vital that victims feel confident reporting it to the police.

“For more information, advice and support visit the Drinkaware website or the UK government support pages on drink spiking.”

Safe Sips: Navigating Drink Spiking will take place at ARU’s Cambridge campus on Saturday, 21 March at 3pm and is one of more than 40 free Cambridge Festival events hosted by ARU. To register, visit https://www.aru.ac.uk/events/cambridge-festival/safe-sips-navigating-drink-spiking

A new national survey of 1,000 American adults commissioned by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine finds that 25% of adults now suspect they may have undiagnosed ADHD. But what worries mental health experts is that only 13% of survey respondents have shared their suspicions with their doctor.

That’s raising concerns about the consequences of self-diagnosis leading to incorrect treatment.

“Anxiety, depression and ADHD – all these things can look a lot alike, but the wrong treatment can make things worse instead of helping that person feel better and improving their functioning,” said psychologist Justin Barterian, PhD, clinical assistant professor in Ohio State’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health.

An estimated 4.4% of people ages 18 to 44 have ADHD, and some people aren’t diagnosed until they’re older, Barterian said.

“There’s definitely more awareness of how it can continue to affect folks into adulthood and a lot of people who are realizing, once their kids have been diagnosed, that they fit these symptoms as well, given that it’s a genetic disorder,” Barterian said.

The survey found that younger adults are more likely to believe they have undiagnosed ADHD than older generations, and they’re also more likely to do something about it.

Barterian said that should include seeing a medical professional, usually their primary care provider, to receive a referral to a mental health expert to be thoroughly evaluated, accurately diagnosed and effectively treated.

“If you’re watching videos on social media and it makes you think that you may meet criteria for the disorder, I would encourage you to seek an evaluation from a psychologist or a psychiatrist or a physician to get it checked out,” Barterian said.

What is Adult ADHD?
Adults struggling with ADHD will have problems with paying attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity that are severe enough to cause ongoing challenges at school, work and home. These symptoms are persistent and disruptive and can often be traced back to childhood.

Adult ADHD occurs in:

• Adults who were diagnosed as children, but symptoms continue into adulthood.
• Adults who are diagnosed for the first time, despite experiencing symptoms since they were younger that had been ignored or misdiagnosed.

Hyperactivity as a symptom is typically less present in adults than in children. Many adults with ADHD struggle with memory and concentration issues. Symptoms of ADHD often worsen with stress, conflict or increased demands in life.

What are common types of ADHD?
The three types of ADHD are:

• Inattentive ADHD – Inability to pay attention and distractibility. This also is known as attention-deficit disorder (ADD).
• Hyperactive and impulsive ADHD – Hyperactivity and impulsivity.
• Combined ADHD – This type causes inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.

ADHD can be difficult to diagnose in adults, because some of the symptoms are similar to those in other mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety.

“Symptoms of ADHD can look different between different people,” Barterian said. “Some people might have more difficulty focusing on lectures or with organization, while others may have more social difficulties with impulsivity and trouble following along in conversations.”

Survey Methodology
This study was conducted by SSRS on its Opinion Panel Omnibus platform. The SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus is a national, twice-per-month, probability-based survey. Data collection was conducted from August 16 – August 18, 2024, among a sample of 1,006 respondents. The survey was conducted via web (n=975) and telephone (n=31) and administered in English. The margin of error for total respondents is +/-3.8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus data are weighted to represent the target population of U.S. adults ages 18 or older.