9.11.12

Two female students have had to be stretchered out of Fruity in two weeks, believing their drinks had been spiked.

The two separate incidents took place at the popular Union club night on October 26 and November 2.

The female student who went to Fruity last Friday was evacuated by St. John Ambulance, after suddenly losing consciousness.  The student says she suspects that a spiked drink was the most likely cause, though medical details are not available. She told Leeds Student “It was pretty awful and not what I expected from a student night in the Union.”

A witness who was with her told this paper: “she seemed fine, as if just drunk, but then all of a sudden she felt like she needed to sit down and when she did she started losing consciousness, I got her attention and she came round but then lost consciousness again.”

The friend, who witnessed the incident, added that she believes the incident could not have only been caused by alcohol, given the speed and severity of the effects.  “She went from being normal to completely gone in minutes… she wasn’t drunk enough to warrant [effects like] that”.

A bouncer was called as soon as the girl collapsed, before a stretcher was brought to carry her away to an ambulance. Paramedics then checked her blood pressure. According to one member of St John Ambulance, the student regained consciousness and immediately told them she thought that her drink had been spiked. However, the medical officers tending to her could not find chemical evidence to suggest that this was the case, concluding that alcohol was most likely the cause of her condition.

The Union has no record that this incident took place.

A week before, another student suffered similar symptoms during a night at Fruity. According to a Union spokesperson, the student collapsed near the bar, again requiring a stretcher to remove her. While being checked by paramedics, she too stated that her drink had been spiked. However, paramedics again suspected that  alcohol consumption was the probable reason for her collapse.

Though there have been no recent confirmed cases of drink spiking at Union venues, a spokesperson assured students that “all of the Union’s security personnel are trained to be aware of spiking as a potential risk and be vigilant in looking out for anybody who is acting suspiciously.”

Words: Max Bruges

Photo: Leo Garbutt