Drink and needle spiking (sumisión química): prevention and response

Key rules

• Test window: Go to hospital emergency as soon as possible, ideally within 12 hours, because traces fade fast.
• Police report: You do not need to report to the police before the hospital takes samples.
• Emergency number: Call 112 if you or a friend show sudden symptoms and need help.
• Needle spiking: If you think you were injected, seek medical help at once even if the case may not be confirmed.

How big is the risk?

Spiking is rare, but it is serious. Nobody keeps a full count in Spain, and many cases go unreported. Victims may not remember what happened, or they report after the substances have cleared. In many suspected cases, tests find only alcohol or drugs the person took voluntarily.

Needle injections (pinchazos) were reported at venues and festivals in 2022, including at the Pamplona fiestas. In the cases examined, authorities found no substance that proved someone injected a drug on purpose. They still tell anyone who thinks they were injected to get medical help straight away and report it.

Protect your drink

• Keep your drink in your hand or in sight. If you lost sight of it, finish it or throw it away.
• Prefer bottles or cans that you open yourself. If you take a mixed drink, watch it being poured.
• Don't accept drinks from strangers, and don't share drinks.
• Keep your alcohol intake limited.
• Tell friends your plan and stay with people you trust.
• Drink covers and testing strips are not an official measure and do not detect every substance. Don't rely on them.
• Many venues run a Punto Violeta safety point. Ask staff there for help.

Signs something is wrong

Tell a friend or venue staff at once if you notice:

• sudden drowsiness or loss of consciousness
• confusion, dizziness or loss of balance
• nausea or vomiting
• drunkenness much stronger than what you drank
• memory gaps
• loss of control of your body

Sometimes there is agitation or a slow heart rate. If a friend shows these signs, don't leave them alone.

The time window

Go to hospital emergency as soon as possible after suspected spiking, ideally within 12 hours, because traces fade fast. GHB clears fastest: roughly 6 hours in blood and 12 hours in urine. Alcohol and many drugs stay in blood for up to about 24 hours. Many other substances show in urine for around 72 hours, sometimes longer. Exact times vary with the substance and dose. If time has passed, a hair test can still detect substances weeks later, so ask the hospital about it.

How to get tested

1. Go to hospital emergency (urgencias) or call 112.
2. The hospital examines and treats you and takes blood and urine samples.
3. If a crime is suspected, a forensic doctor (médico forense) is usually called. The samples are sealed and tracked with a cadena de custodia and sent to the national toxicology institute.

You do not need to go to the police first. The hospital can notify the court, and the police and a judge then open proceedings. Reporting to the Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil is still a good idea. You can do it afterwards. Procedures vary somewhat by region, and some regions have their own sexual assault protocols. Ask the hospital what applies where you are.

The law

Spain has no single spiking offence. Drugging someone is prosecuted under other offences. If it is used for a sexual assault, using drugs that annul your will makes the penalties heavier. Otherwise it is usually charged as injuries, or as robbery if the aim was to rob. What applies depends on the facts and the court.

Timeline and deadlines

• Get tested for most other drugs in urine: up to around 72 hours, some up to several days

• Ask about a hair test if the time has passed: weeks later

Checklist

• Keep your drink in your hand or in sight, and finish or discard one you lost sight of

• Choose bottles or cans you open yourself, and watch any drink being poured

• Refuse drinks from strangers and avoid sharing drinks

• Tell friends or venue staff at once if you feel sudden dizziness, confusion or drowsiness

• Ask for help at venues with a Punto Violeta safety point

• Go to hospital emergency or call 112 if you suspect spiking or a needle injection

• Ask the hospital to take blood and urine samples, and a forensic doctor if a crime is suspected

• Report to the Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil, now or afterwards

What to watch out for

• Drinks left unattended: A drink you lost sight of could have been tampered with. Finish or discard it and stay with friends who know your plan. Order a fresh drink in a bottle or can you open yourself.

• Drink covers and testing strips are not enough: Covers and strips given out by some venues do not detect all substances, and they are not an official measure. Use them as an extra, not a replacement for watching your drink.

• Waiting too long to get tested: Traces of some substances disappear within hours, so a delay can mean nothing is found.

• No single spiking offence: Drugging someone is prosecuted under other offences, such as sexual assault, injuries or robbery, depending on the facts. Report what happened to the police and let them decide the charge.

What if you think your drink or a friend's was spiked?

If you think a drink was spiked, get to safety, then go to hospital emergency (urgencias) as soon as possible, ideally within 12 hours. Traces of many substances fade fast, so do not wait to see whether you feel better.

Get safe first

• Stay with the person, or ask someone you trust to stay with you. Never leave a affected friend alone.
• Move to a quiet, safe place and tell venue staff or security.
• If you are unsure what to do, call 112. It is free and works across Spain. Tell the operator what you think was taken and when.
• If your friend is drowsy but breathing, lay them on their side with the head tilted back and the airway clear. Watch their breathing and whether they respond.
• Do not make them vomit. Do not give them food, drink or other drugs.
• Nobody who may have been spiked should go home alone.

Go to urgencias, even if the symptoms ease

Signs include sudden drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, loss of balance, vomiting, feeling far drunker than your drinks explain, and memory gaps. Go even if you start to feel better.

Ask for blood and urine tests for drugs. If a crime is suspected, a forensic doctor is usually called and the samples are handled so they can be used in court.

You do not need a police report first. The hospital can notify the court itself.

Protect the evidence

• Try not to urinate before samples are taken. If you must, use a clean container and hand it to the hospital or police.
• If a sexual assault may have happened, do not shower, wash or change clothes before the examination. Keep the clothes you wore in a paper bag.
• Keep the glass or bottle if you still have it, and touch it as little as possible.
• Save messages, photos, receipts and card payments.
• Write down the venue, the time, who was there and what happened.
• Get names and contact details of witnesses.
• Ask the venue to keep its camera footage for the police.

Report it

You can report at any Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil station, at a Mossos d'Esquadra or Ertzaintza station in their regions, or at a duty court. It can be done at any hour and after you have had medical care, so you can report once you feel able.

Some police forces let you start a report online, but you will generally need to confirm it in person.

For free, confidential advice in many languages, call 016, open 24 hours. It does not appear on the phone bill, but the call stays in the phone's call log. Victims of sexual violence get a lawyer free of charge. Crisis centres, victim assistance offices and town women's services can also help, though what exists varies by region.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to report to the police before the hospital tests me?

No, you do not need a police report before getting medical care or having samples taken. The hospital can notify the court itself. Reporting to the Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil is still advised, and you can do it afterwards.

What happens to my samples at the hospital?

The hospital takes blood and urine samples and treats you. If a crime is suspected, a forensic doctor (médico forense) is usually called, and the samples are sealed with a chain of custody (cadena de custodia) and sent to the national toxicology institute for analysis.

Is needle spiking a confirmed problem in Spain?

Reports of pinchazos at venues and festivals led to police investigations in 2022, but in the cases examined no substance proving an injection was found. If you think you were injected or feel unwell, seek medical help immediately and report it so tests can be taken.

What law covers someone who drugs my drink?

Spain has no single spiking offence, so drugging someone is prosecuted under other offences. Using drugs to annul your will is an aggravating factor in sexual assault cases, and where there is no sexual motive it is usually charged as injuries (lesiones).