There have been media reports recently about “Needle Spiking” happening at the Streetparade.The claim is that [8 people were attacked with needles](https://www.20min.ch/story/die-frauen-spuerten-den-nadelstich-und-hatten-angst-136212676383) during the event.

A year ago there was “needle spiking” news coverage in the UK but [out of 274 reports,](https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dgpxz/274-reports-but-zero-confirmed-cases-what-we-know-about-needle-spiking-in-the-uk)[ no case could be confirmed](https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dgpxz/274-reports-but-zero-confirmed-cases-what-we-know-about-needle-spiking-in-the-uk). And also no blood test indicated that anyone was spiked with drugs.

Also, [experts seem to believe that needle spiking someone with drugs is very hard to pull off](https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-58994755). It takes time, hurts and so the chance of getting caught is very high.

I’m then amazed that the [media reports cases like this one](https://www.20min.ch/video/ich-wurde-an-der-street-parade-14-mal-mit-einer-nadel-gestochen-867956774730) where someone believes to have been jabbed by a needle **14 times**, without noticing at first.

I mean, I don’t want to rule out that “needle spiking” might have happened very rarely in the past but it sounds a lot like poisoned Halloween candy urban legends in the US. Could be that the news reports will lead to real cases being done by copycat attackers – but currently, I’m super skeptical about this phenomenon being what it’s claimed to be.

**Does somebody have a good argument for why we should believe that “Needle Spiking” is mostly real?**

ETA:
Just stumbled upon this Twitter thread that makes the same point better than me – but in German.
[https://twitter.com/marko\_kovic/status/1559186829877940232](https://twitter.com/marko_kovic/status/1559186829877940232)

12 comments

  1. Even if its a moral panic, don’t see the issue in it. Needle spikers reaching havoc while no one covers it sounds way more scarier than the other way around. Not sure what you’re trying to say/imply with your post.

    If it is indeed a moral panic: who cares, media had their clickbait and people are aware of their surrounding ravers and look out for each other (hopefully)

  2. We should never ever disregard anyone’s fear of being spiked. That said it is true that no drug has ever been found in many cases. What’s possible though is that some people like to scare people with empty needles, the placebo effect is enough to make them feel sick.

    Keep in mind that most cases here are not being followed because of our superior medicine. Thanks to the “private responsibility”, the drug tests requires the victim to pay the expensive GHB tests first before being able to file a complaint for someone they will probably never be able to catch.

  4. This is the modern media. They are not out there to inform you, just to make up stories, scare people and have them generate clicks and ad revenue.

    Other examples: Omicron Panic, Monkeypox, Gas Shortages, Nuclear War, etc

  5. It just shows, how fucking bad the swiss media landscape is. At least in regards of mainstream media. 20min hopping on a 14y old tik tokers lap and making it to the frontpage. Comon. 14 stiches and you didnt’ realise it? Not one time there could find any substances…

  7. Yes, probably. It makes no sense at all. I mean, there is NO real traces of any substance in any of the cases. So why do they think, they got spiked without substance? Just for fun of it? Occams razor says it’s nothing

  8. This girl’s story of “14 times” in one evening seems improbable. She would have been comatose after the first two. But I guess that’s 20min for you.

    I had my drink spiked twice, once in Switzerland, the other time in Luxembourg – both times by the bar tender. And I’m someone who doesn’t go out often and am vigilant always. I don’t think it is unreasonable to be cautious these days … people suck.

  12. So I can’t talk about this particular case, but drugs can’t be found in blood after 24 hours. You can have some traces though
    I don’t think it is a Moral Panic because I know at least 2 people that have been spiked (with traces of drugs found by blood test in the hospital the day after the event).
    I think it is important to be aware so it’s better that the media inform us, but we should be careful of what we read

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