Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Interview With Author

How much attention do you pay to what’s happening around you on a night out? You may think you’re being careful, but danger might be closer than you expect.

Shirah Benarde, founder of NightCap, set out to prove this in a recent TikTok video. During a party with friends, she decided to run a small experiment by secretly ‘spiking’ their drinks with candy while filming it all on camera. Shockingly, not a single person caught on. Keep reading to find out how she pulled it off.

Shirah Benarde set up a small experiment with her friends to prove a serious point

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: shiraah

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: shiraah

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: shiraah

Turns out, it’s surprisingly easy to tamper with someone’s drink

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: shiraah

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: shiraah

It’s incredibly important to never let your guard down in these situations

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: shiraah

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: shiraah

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: shiraah

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: shiraah

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: shiraah

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: shiraah

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: shiraah

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: shiraah

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: shiraah

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: shiraah

You can watch the full video here

@shiraah With everything going on with #diddy right now, this is do important to remember. Do not let your guard down even at a private party. #diddyparty #drinkspikingprevention #spiked ♬ original sound – sped up songs &lt3

Drink spiking is more common than you might think

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: Pavel Danilyuk / pexels (not the actual photo)

Shirah Benarde’s experiment of ‘spiking’ drinks with candy shows just how fast a fun outing can take a dangerous turn. Bored Panda caught up with Benarde to find out how she came up with this clever idea.

“I was brainstorming after a photoshoot with my photographer, Mike O’Malley,” she explains. “He suggested using candy.”

Her friends were shocked to find gummy worms floating in their drinks. “They had no clue when or where it happened,” she shares. “Most didn’t realize until I told them! Being around friends gives a false sense of security, making us think we can let our guard down. In reality, the person most likely to spike your drink is someone you know.”

To promote safety, Benarde created NightCap, a special cover designed to prevent drinks from being spiked. “NightCap has always provided fun solutions to a serious problem, and this approach truly embodies that,” she says. “We wanted to demonstrate real scenarios to show how easily drink spiking can occur. You never realize how quickly it can happen until it does.”

According to research conducted by YouGov in 2022, one in ten women (10%) and one in twenty men (5%) have experienced drink spiking. Alarmingly, another study led by alcohol psychologist Dr. Emma Davies revealed that while most incidents occur in bars or clubs, a quarter happen in private homes. This means that even in secure situations, there’s still a chance someone could exploit our trust.

“The most common substance that people are spiked with tends to be alcohol, such as adding more alcohol to someone’s drink,” Dr. Davies tells Bored Panda. “This makes it very difficult to tell if your drink has been tampered with. Other substances, including GHB, are also hard to detect.”

The reactions to being spiked differ from person to person. “It completely depends on what the drink has been spiked with,” she adds. “Usually, people will notice they feel differently than expected, based on their previous experiences with alcohol or any other substances they may be taking at the same time.”

According to the UK Metropolitan Police, symptoms often include confusion, nausea, hallucinations, paranoia, disorientation, poor coordination, memory loss, and difficulty communicating. In some cases, those affected may also have lowered inhibitions or even lose consciousness. These effects typically begin within 15 minutes of consumption, depending on the substance, and can last for several hours.

Most people don’t report drink spiking to the police

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Image credits: Gabriel Hohol / pexels (not the actual photo)

Despite the risks, only 7.2% of individuals who experience drink spiking report it to the police. Reasons for this vary, but victims often face shame that discourages them from coming forward. One woman, Corey, who was 18 when she recounted her experience of being spiked in a 2018 BBC article, described the ordeal as terrifying. “I couldn’t feel my legs, I couldn’t feel my arms, I couldn’t speak properly,” she shares.

“Everyone I told gave me the same responses: ‘Oh, it happens. You should have been more careful; you should have watched your drink,’” she explains. “I was getting blamed.”

Dr. Davies recognizes that the way society treats victims in cases of drink spiking is deeply concerning. “If you have been a victim of spiking, this is not and never is your fault,” she emphasizes. “Unfortunately, we often hear about victim blaming, and the stigma associated with it can have a negative psychological impact.”

She encourages anyone who has experienced or suspects they have been spiked to reach out for support. “Talk to someone about it—contact a GP who can refer you for counseling if needed. University students can also reach out to their welfare services,” she advises. “All of these sources will listen, believe you, and provide individual support tailored to your needs.”

Dr. Davies also notes that there is not enough attention given to those who commit drink spiking offenses. “I would really like to see more focus on the perpetrators of spiking. While it’s important to support victims, we need to address the underlying issues, including, crucially, the topic of consent,” she says. “Men can also be spiked, and they may find it even harder to seek help.”

Many commenters agreed that this is a great way to make your friends aware of how unexpectedly their drinks could be spiked

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

However, some felt the experiment was a bad idea, thinking it could harm the trust the woman had with her friends

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Others shared their own frightening experiences of getting roofied

Woman “Spikes” Friends’ Drinks At A Party To Prove A Frightening Point, Goes Viral

Poll Question

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Kyiv-born, Vilnius-dwelling writer with a suitcase full of curiosity. My Master's in International Communication fuels my love for exploring different stories. Whether I'm putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), you might catch me out and about with my film camera, cycling around, or on a quest for the perfect coffee spot. Occasionally seen trying to find inner peace on the yoga mat.

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I'm a visual editor here at Bored Panda and I enjoy a good laugh. My work ranges from serious topics related to toxic work environments and relationship difficulties to humorous articles about online shopping fails and introvert memes. When I'm not at my work desk, checking if every single pixel is in the right place, I usually spend my free time playing board games, taking pictures, and watching documentaries

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What do you think ?

POST

Paul C. 1 month ago

Good for this lady. I've worked in a bar and seen the consequences of spiking. Luckily she was a friend, who I saw talking to a guy who I knew to be a bit dodgy. She only had one drink and started talking with a slur and he started to get closer. I decided I didn't care if I was wrong and took her up to the flat upstairs and the owners son sat with her. Less than ten minutes later he said she had fallen asleep. I called an ambulance and they took her to hospital. She had been given something and was out cold until mid day next day, but all ok. No proof it was the guy but we said he wasn't welcome again and he just shrugged, whatever. At the next meeting of pub landlords his name was brought up and a couple said they were worried about him and from then on his every move was watched. Everybody please be vigilant and don't be afraid to upset people, if you are wrong all you have done is upset their feelings. If you are right, you might just have saved their life.

13points

Donkey boi 1 month ago

My cousin Jim and I (both males) were spiked while on holiday. Luckily, 2 (Female) friends we had made (not relevant, but they are the reason I love the Sheffield accent) kept an eye on and got us back to our hotel. I don't remember a single thing, but apparently I was 'an entertaining s**t show', whereas Jim was just a complete mess. Barely conscious, he had to be carried by the 2 girls, while I carried 'a very special and extremely rare flower' (which was in fact a Lucozade bottle). The following afternoon, when talking about it, I speculated that the girls were probably the actual targets, You see, Jim and I were drinking fancy "girly" looking cocktails, and the girls were drinking pints of beer. Shoved together on a table the size of a small tray it would be the most obvious assumption that the "girly" looking drinks were theirs. I think this girl is doing a good deed.

12points

Royal Stray 1 month ago

I'm pretty sure this is from an add for drink covers. Which honestly doesn't take away from anything she's done, add or not. It is incredibly easy to slip something into a drink, especially an unattended one. The same goes even if you just drink water or soda, not drinking alcohol doesn't make you safe from being spiked. The important things are to 1. Always keep an eye on your drink 2. Don't finish it if you left it unattended. 3. Keep an eye on your friends and make sure to be there in case they've gotten spiked. 4. If you start feeling weird from your drink, tell your friends, or someone who works there. If it's a home party tell someone you trust/know. 5. It's better to have called an ambulance or told your friends to help you and be perfectly fine than it is to not have called for help and get roofied

4points