Safe sips: Navigating drink spiking (talk & workshop)

What is spiking? How do we ensure our communities can sip safely? Join the ARU Spiking Research Team for a talk and workshop to find out more about their research, and to see some anti-spiking products in action. Talk: In this talk, the Anglia Ruskin University Spiking Research Team will explore what spiking is, its current prevalence, and the outcomes and impacts on survivors. They will also provide information about the sample types that can be tested, detection timeframes and the key research findings from their research. Participants will gain an insight into the challenges of detecting spiking agents, barriers to reporting and practical steps that can be taken. Their work is informed by interdisciplinary research, and has involved collaboration with diverse stakeholders, ensuring multiple perspectives shape their findings and recommendations. Join the team to learn more about their research, raise awareness and discover how we can take meaningful action together to make our communities safer. Workshop: In this workshop, participants will have the chance to explore a range of drink testing kits and other anti-spiking products, see how they work and make an informed decision. The team will also introduce their new educational toolkit on spiking, which is designed to raise awareness, signpost on reporting and support systems, and dispel common myths. Dr Lata Gautam [https://www.aru.ac.uk/people/lata-gautam] has over 24 years of experience in forensic and analytical chemistry, with a particular focus on the teaching and research of drug analysis across a range of sample types. Her expertise includes the detection of drugs of abuse in spiked beverages and research related to drug-facilitated sexual assaults. In recent years, Dr Gautam has also expanded her research interests to explore equitable representation and the effective participation of diverse social groups in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) – particularly focusing on race and ethnic minorities within higher education and workplace environments. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Dr Gautam will be joined by Dr Agatha Grela [https://www.aru.ac.uk/people/lata-gautam] (Course Director, MSc Forensic Science, and research co-investigator), Ms Kirsty Barron (PhD researcher), and Ms Aisha Mirembe (recent postgraduate), among other undergraduate and postgraduate students who have researched the topic.