More than half of spiking incidents this year involved injections, says Helen McEntee

Alana Daly-Mulligan (front) of the UCC student council with fellow students and staff of UCC at the university's #TakeBackTheSpike rally to raise awareness around spiking last month. Up to November of this year, 46 incidents were reported to the Gardaí. Photo: Gavin Browne

More than half of all spiking incidents this year involved people being injected, the Justice Minister has revealed.

Launching a campaign to make people more aware of the dangers of spiking, Helen McEntee is calling on people to contact the gardaí if they believe they have been spiked.

UCC student, Katie Halpin-Hill at a #TakeBackTheSpike rally last month in UCC to raise awareness around spiking. Photo: Gavin Browne

"Everyone is entitled to a night out," she said adding that people shouldn't have to watch their drinks but they should be on alert on a night out.

Ms McEntee revealed that up to November of this year, 46 incidents were reported to the Gardaí and 25 of those specifically mentioned needles and syringes. Currently, people can face up to three years in prison if found guilty of spiking.

Ms McEntee said people who are spiked should go to the gardaí and people who witness this activity should know it is a crime and "should call it out"

(Left to right) Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris at the launch of a social media campaign on  the dangers of spiking. They are calling on people to contact the gardaí if they believe they have been spiked. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Minister for Higher Education, Simon Harris said it was positive that 400,000 students have been able to return to college this term, which has allowed them to socialise in a Covid-compliant manner.

But he added: "Students have reported to us as we've gone around the country that they're now concerned about the issue of spiking."

Appealing to people over the Christmas period, Mr Harris said: "If you're out for a few drinks and you maybe feel a little bit more drunk than you should as a result of what you've drank, maybe you feel like you are going to vomit, your vision is blurred, you feel a little bit dizzy, you could have been spiked.

Mr Harris said:

Make sure you're not on your own and if you see someone with those symptoms or with those signs don't leave them on their own. 

Indeed if you're working in an environment and you see someone like that, don't just presume they're drunk and send them on their way, make sure that they have somebody to get home safely."

Both Mr Harris and Ms McEntee have been tipped as the next possible leader of Fine Gael.

Asked about this, Mr Harris said: "Myself and Minister McEntee are very busy working, we're both ambitious about our work."