Drug-laced vapes and prescription medicines 'increasingly being used to spike victims'

Prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as drug-laced vapes, are increasingly being used to spike victims, police have warned.

Cases have emerged with officers seeing vapes containing THC, the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis, and the drug spice, as well as the use of high doses of everyday medication such as antihistamines and travel sickness pills.

There has also been an increase in the number of cases at private parties, rather than at bars and clubs, the Metropolitan Police said.

"The nature of spiking is changing," Detective Superintendent Dan Thompson, the Met's spiking lead, said.

"We're seeing offenders use a wider range of substances than ever before, including everyday medications and substances added to vapes, while increasingly targeting victims in private settings such as homes, parties and student accommodation."

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Officers warned that many of the substances being used "leave a narrow forensic window", highlighting why it is so important to report incidents quickly.

"Reporting within the first 12 hours allows us to secure CCTV, obtain forensic evidence, identify witnesses and make arrests," DS Thompson added.

"Nobody should hesitate to come forward. Even if some time has passed, we still want to hear from you."

In the past year, more than 2,700 spiking-related offences were reported to the Met, of which just 131 led to a charge, caution or summons.

This was an increase of 20% on the previous year.

More than half the victims were aged 18 to 35.

In a YouGov poll in December 2022, 10% of women and 5% of men said that they had had a drink spiked.

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Spiking cases can be complex, because the drugs are rapidly metabolised - meaning the human body breaks down the substance.

The Met Police said self-testing kits sold online would also not detect many over-the-counter medicines or prescription drugs.

Awareness events are taking place throughout Freshers Week at various universities across London.

Two prolific sex offenders were jailed last year following separate Met investigations after they were convicted of targeting multiple women at their flats

Chao Xu, 34, was jailed for life in November 2025 for 24 sexual offences, including rape, over the course of three years. He would give guests a drink laced with substances including GHB and scopolamine, a travel sickness medication.

The second case was Chinese PhD student Zhenhao Zou, 29, who also received a life sentence for drugging and raping 10 women in London and China.

(c) Sky News 2026: Drug-laced vapes and prescription medicines 'increasingly being used to spike victims'