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The Sun
8 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
This Morning star reveals terrifying moment she blacked out on boozy night out as she sends warning to fans
THIS Morning star Ashley James has revealed the frightful moment she blacked out on a boozy night out - and feared she had been spiked. The 38-year-old says she feels very lucky because she wasn't mugged or sexually assaulted, but is now extra careful with her drinks on nights out. 6 6 Ashley, who is working alongside Spike Aware UK and CounterSpike in a bid to educate people on the issue, tells us: 'When I went to my brother's university, and I went out with him and his friends, it's the first time that I'd ever completely blacked out. "When I woke up I was in my brother's halls with my brother. 'I'd been sick everywhere and I actually didn't remember anything that happened. But luckily I was with my brother and his friends. 'They teased me that I couldn't handle my drink because I was the younger sister that had gone to visit my brother, but I didn't feel like that. 'My reaction and how sick I was, was not in proportion to what I drank in that situation.' She continues: 'Had it happened now, my brother or me or his friends could have tested my drinks. 'If I had been spiked, there was no mugging or sexual assault. But the next person might not be so lucky, because I imagine a lot of these people that try to spike people's drinks don't just do it once - and if they fail, they don't stop doing it.' Like many people, Ashley didn't tell anyone about her concerns - according to a new survey by CounterSpike only 11% of spiking victims reported it to the police. Now, Ashley is helping to promote SpikeStixx - a spiking test kit that enables people to test their drinks on a night out and get instant results. 'It's literally the same size as my lipstick, so you can put it in your bag, no matter how tiny and impractical your bag is - as mine always is,' says Ashley. 'Ever since I started going out properly, spiking's always been that sort of invisible threat or thing that we have to worry about.' DJ and TV star Ashley first rose to fame during her short stint on Made In Chelsea - she now uses her voice to talk about what's important to her. She often speaks out about double standards for men and women - and refuses to cover up her boobs because other people choose to hypersexualize them. 'I definitely feel like I've got to a point where I realise that there shouldn't be a moral attachment to the clothes that we wear, ' she tells us. 'And actually, we see that, even if you're looking at spiking. But any form of sexual violence, it doesn't just happen because of what we wear. 'I find specifically, the hypersexualization of boobs quite frustrating. I don't deserve to be judged and especially not my morals or sexuality questioned based on my body." She adds: 'I certainly don't think that my body is any more shameful than anyone else's and I think time and time again, we see that it doesn't matter what we wear. 'People are spiking drinks, not because of what we're wearing. People are hurting and killing women, not because of the clothes that they are wearing. It's because those people are bad people who want to harm women.' Despite any concerns Ashley might have on a night out, the mum-of-two is planning to keep on partying for a long time to come. She says: 'I love socialising. I'm such an extrovert and I'm a DJ as well. So I'm always out and about in various different environments where there's drinks. 'I love being around friends. I've got a really good group of mum friends. I've got a really good group of friends in the industry and I feel like I'll never slow down - I'm just a bit more tired.' 6 6 6 6
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Parents of Scots teen who died at university call for action on 'prank spiking'
Mandy and Colin Mackie lost their son Greg in 2017, and are calling for 'prank spiking' to be criminalised. The parents of a tragic Scots teenager are calling on the government to close a loophole so prank spiking becomes a criminal offence. Mandy and Colin Mackie, both 63, lost their son Greg in a suspected drink spiking and want to ensure all cases are prosecuted. The Crime and Policing Bill, which has had its second reading in the House of Commons, will make spiking a standalone crime with a maximum prison term of 10 years, reports The Mirror. But prosecution will require proof of specific intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy. And the law will not cover prank spiking – which is viewed as acting recklessly or being negligent, but not with intent. Greg was 18 when he collapsed in his halls of residence on November 26, 2017, while studying Film and Media at Edinburgh University. A toxicology report found he had the equivalent of five ecstasy tablets in his system but no trace of alcohol. No one has ever been prosecuted. Mandy, who runs the charity Spike Aware UK with Colin, said: 'A lot of the time it is a prank. Those doing it think it's funny and maybe they're on a night out and they think, 'Let's liven them up'. But it's not funny and a lot of victims end up with mental health issues. There's a big knock-on effect, so why is the perpetrator allowed to get away with it so easily?' Figures released today show 6.6million Brits have been spiked, based on a poll of 3000 adults by CounterSpike, which makes test kits. Their survey found 44 per cent of people are worried about having their drinks tampered with and 52 per cent believe it is on the rise. CounterSpike, which has also created an app, has teamed up with Spike Aware UK to educate people on the dangers. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Mandy, of Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway, who is also a carer and a beautician, said: 'The youngest victim we've heard of is 11. 'We spoke to the parents of a boy who was at a house party, who was rushed to hospital after being spiked – the police never even went back to investigate. Depending on where you are, police forces all have slightly different interpretations of the law – they need better guidance.' Determined to help stop other families having to go through the heartache they have experienced, Mandy and Colin visit schools to educate youngsters on the risks. Remembering the night the police told them their son had died of a drug overdose, Mandy said: 'We couldn't believe it – he did motorbike racing and boxing, and was open to drug testing at any time. He was a cautious person and was filming a documentary on drink spiking, which could have made him a target. 'No one should ever walk free after spiking someone.' The reasons for doing it vary from sexual assault to robbery or pranking. But the Mackies believe the problem is at its worst at universities and they hope the new law will be a true deterrent. Mandy added: 'When we go to speak at Freshers Week we hear students say 'It's the norm'. We want it to be treated as seriously as knife crime.' With hopes that the law will come into force by the end of this year, Isle of Wight East Tory MP Joe Robertson is trying to get the loophole closed. He is meeting with Solicitor General Lucy Rigby tomorrow to try to negotiate a change. He said: 'Prank spiking ruins lives. We don't want anyone being let off by claiming they were 'only having a bit of fun'. We need to close this loophole.' Scottish Government Victims Minister Siobhian Brown said: 'We continue to engage with Spike Aware UK, the Home Office and other stakeholders through our roundtable on spiking to take a proactive approach to understand the prevalence of spiking and to ensure our response is effective.' To minimise the risk of spiking, do not accept drinks from strangers. Buy your own drink and never leave it unattended. Warning signs that your drink may have been targeted include confusion, nausea, hallucinations and memory loss.
Edinburgh Live
2 days ago
- Edinburgh Live
Parents of Edinburgh student call for action on 'prank spiking' after son found dead in flat
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The parents of a tragic Edinburgh student are calling on the government to close a loophole so prank spiking becomes a criminal offence. Mandy and Colin Mackie, both 63, lost their son Greg in a suspected drink spiking and want to ensure all cases are prosecuted, reports The Mirror. Greg was 18 when he collapsed in his halls of residence on November 26, 2017, while studying Film and Media at Edinburgh University. The Crime and Policing Bill, which has had its second reading in the House of Commons, will make spiking a standalone crime with a maximum prison term of 10 years. Prosecution will require proof of specific intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy. The law will not cover prank spiking – which is viewed as acting recklessly or being negligent, but not with intent. A toxicology report found Greg had the equivalent of five ecstasy tablets in his system but no trace of alcohol. No one has ever been prosecuted. Mandy, who runs the charity Spike Aware UK with Colin, told The Mirror: "A lot of the time it is a prank. Those doing it think it's funny and maybe they're on a night out and they think, 'Let's liven them up'. 'But it's not funny and a lot of victims end up with mental health issues. There's a big knock-on effect, so why is the perpetrator allowed to get away with it so easily?' Figures released on Monday show 6.6 million Brits have been spiked, based on a poll of 3,000 adults by CounterSpike, which makes test kits. Their survey found 44% of people are worried about having their drinks tampered with and 52% believe it is on the rise. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. CounterSpike, which has also created an app, has teamed up with Spike Aware UK to educate people on the dangers. Mandy, of Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway, who is also a carer and a beautician, said: 'The youngest victim we've heard of is 11. We spoke to the parents of a boy who was at a house party, who was rushed to hospital after being spiked – the police never even went back to investigate. 'Depending on where you are, police forces all have slightly different interpretations of the law – they need better guidance.' 'Depending on where you are, police forces all have slightly different interpretations of the law – they need better guidance.' Determined to help stop other families having to go through the heartache they have experienced, Mandy and Colin visit schools to educate youngsters on the risks. Remembering the night the police told them their son had died of a drug overdose, Mandy said: 'We couldn't believe it – he did motorbike racing and boxing, and was open to drug testing at any time. 'He was a cautious person and was filming a documentary on drink spiking, which could have made him a target. No one should ever walk free after spiking someone.' The reasons for doing it vary from sexual assault to robbery or pranking. But the Mackies believe the problem is at its worst at universities and they hope the new law will be a true deterrent. Mandy added: 'When we go to speak at Freshers Week we hear students say things like, 'It's the norm'. We want it to be treated as seriously as knife crime.' With hopes the law will come into force by the end of this year, Isle of Wight East Tory MP Joe Robertson is trying to get the loophole closed. He is meeting with Solicitor General Lucy Rigby on Tuesday to try to negotiate a change. He told the Mirror: 'Prank spiking ruins lives. We don't want anyone being let off by claiming they were 'only having a bit of fun'. We need to close this loophole.' Warning signs that your drink may have been targeted include confusion, nausea, hallucinations and memory loss. To minimise the risk, do not accept drinks from strangers. Buy your own drink and never leave it unattended. For more information, visit
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'We want spiking to be treated as seriously as knife crime'
After losing their 18-year-old son Greg in a suspected drink spiking at his university, Mandy and Colin Mackie are campaigning to outlaw "prank" spiking in the new Crime and Policing Bill The parents of a tragic teenager are calling on the government to close a loophole so prank spiking becomes a criminal offence. Mandy and Colin Mackie, both 63, lost their son Greg in a suspected drink spiking and want to ensure all cases are prosecuted. The Crime and Policing Bill, which has had its second reading in the House of Commons, will make spiking a standalone crime with a maximum prison term of 10 years. But prosecution will require proof of specific intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy. And the law will not cover prank spiking – which is viewed as acting recklessly or being negligent, but not with intent. Greg was 18 when he collapsed in his halls of residence on November 26, 2017, while studying Film and Media at Edinburgh University. A toxicology report found he had the equivalent of five ecstasy tablets in his system but no trace of alcohol. No one has ever been prosecuted. Mandy, who runs the charity Spike Aware UK with Colin, told the Mirror: 'A lot of the time it is a prank. Those doing it think it's funny and maybe they're on a night out and they think, 'Let's liven them up'. 'But it's not funny and a lot of victims end up with mental health issues. There's a big knock-on effect, so why is the perpetrator allowed to get away with it so easily?' Figures released today show 6.6 million Brits have been spiked, based on a poll of 3,000 adults by CounterSpike, which makes test kits. Their survey found 44% of people are worried about having their drinks tampered with and 52% believe it is on the rise. CounterSpike, which has also created an app, has teamed up with Spike Aware UK to educate people on the dangers. Mandy, of Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway, who is also a carer and a beautician, said: 'The youngest victim we've heard of is 11. We spoke to the parents of a boy who was at a house party, who was rushed to hospital after being spiked – the police never even went back to investigate. 'Depending on where you are, police forces all have slightly different interpretations of the law – they need better guidance.' Determined to help stop other families having to go through the heartache they have experienced, Mandy and Colin visit schools to educate youngsters on the risks. Remembering the night the police told them their son had died of a drug overdose, Mandy said: 'We couldn't believe it – he did motorbike racing and boxing, and was open to drug testing at any time. 'He was a cautious person and was filming a documentary on drink spiking, which could have made him a target. No one should ever walk free after spiking someone.' The reasons for doing it vary from sexual assault to robbery or pranking. But the Mackies believe the problem is at its worst at universities and they hope the new law will be a true deterrent. Mandy added: 'When we go to speak at Freshers Week we hear students say things like, 'It's the norm'. We want it to be treated as seriously as knife crime.' With hopes that the law will come into force by the end of this year, Isle of Wight East Tory MP Joe Robertson is trying to get the loophole closed. He is meeting with Solicitor General Lucy Rigby tomorrow to try to negotiate a change. He told the Mirror: ' Prank spiking ruins lives. We don't want anyone being let off by claiming they were 'only having a bit of fun'. We need to close this loophole.' Warning signs that your drink may have been targeted include confusion, nausea, hallucinations and memory loss. To minimise the risk, do not accept drinks from strangers. Buy your own drink and never leave it unattended. For more information, visit
USA Today
6 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
Needle spiking at festivals: What to know before partying abroad
As Americans travel abroad this summer for music festivals and nightlife, authorities and advocates are warning of a growing threat: needle spiking. Nearly 150 people reported being pricked with needles across France over the weekend, during its nationwide music festival Fête de la Musique. The French Interior Ministry said 13 cases were recorded in Paris, and police have arrested at least 12 people in connection with the attacks so far. Investigations are ongoing, and it wasn't immediately clear if the victims were injected with anything. However, the scale of the incident and its potential to produce similar ones this summer is a "shock" and a cause for caution, according to Colin Mackie, founder of Spike Aware UK, a non-profit that raises awareness about spiking. This recent attack highlights the need for travelers to be aware of spiking risks while partying abroad. It's important to be prepared and know what to do if it happens to you. What is needle spiking? Needle spiking involves people being unwantingly jabbed, typically in the arm or leg, by an attacker via a hypodermic needle, Mackie said. Victims may see a bruise or small red mark at the injection site and, if injected with an unknown substance, report blurry vision, nausea, or feeling woozy, dizzy, and even loss of consciousness, according to Spike Aware UK's website. Needle spiking can happen anywhere to anyone: Cases have been reported mostly at public places such as festivals, bars and clubs, according to 2023 data from the U.K. government. While women made up 74% of reported incidents, a YouGov poll from December 2022 reported 10% of women and 5% of men had been spiked. While varied, the injected substances are typically cheap and easy for perpetrators to access, Mackie said. A report by the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee found the types of substances people are injected with vary and include prescription drugs, tranquillizers, amphetamines or GHB (also called liquid ecstasy). There's no consensus on a predominant substance type injected, according to a spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) in the U.K. 'Spiking is a complex offense to investigate as drugs can pass through the system quickly and there is often a lack of evidential opportunities, which is why quick reporting and early evidence gathering, including forensic testing, is key," the NPCC spokesperson said to USA TODAY via email. Interestingly, the motive behind needle attacks is largely not sexual assault, robbery, or other obvious crimes, according to Mackie. They almost seem like "pranks," he said, making it even harder to find justice under the law. Even if you're feeling well, you should take any sensation of a needle prick seriously and seek medical attention, Mackie advised. This is important because serious diseases can be transmitted through intravenous exposure. Additionally, it would be wise to consider getting travel insurance beforehand, as this can help cover the costs of any medications that doctors may prescribe to prevent related illnesses. "It can be quite a long course of drugs to protect (victims) from HIV and hepatitis," Mackie said. "They don't know what was in the needle or where the needle's been." A longstanding issue with incremental progress Needle spiking isn't a new phenomenon overseas. Attacks surged in 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to social media campaigns and boycotts across Europe and the U.K. as partygoers advocated for better reporting protocols and safety measures at venues. According to Mackie, activism has led to a relative slowdown in incidents in recent years, and the U.K. is at the forefront of policy reform in response. The advocate, whose son died in a spiking-related incident in 2017, is currently lobbying the U.K. parliament to strengthen a proposed law that would make spiking a stand-alone crime. This would give law enforcement "clear procedures" for these cases, Mackie said, and lead to more actual prosecutions. "Police are certainly more active and engaging with victims," Mackie said. Venues have stepped up measures, too, implementing surveillance cameras and extensive security checks at the door. What you can do to protect yourself (and still have fun) Travelers should heed extra caution if heading into large party crowds this summer. A few simple steps can look like: This story was updated to fix a typo.
