Content note: this article mentions drink spiking.

Over 350 people have signed a new petition urging Revolution (Revs) to introduce safety measures against spiking. The petition was published last week (21/01), written to “introduce compulsory spot checks in Revs”. 

The student who wrote the petition, Margaux Sampson, told Varsity about the events that inspired the petition: “this week a friend of mine was spiked in Revs and it made me realise we need to keep campaigning for better protection against spiking. We should be able to let our hair down without having the constant niggling worry about the threat of spiking.” 

The petition calls for “spot searches for customers upon entry into Revolution, spot checks of staff working behind the bar and sufficient training for Revolution staff members about how to deal with spiking.” 

Sampson explained she “became aware of multiple stories and friends who have also been spiked in Revs and wanted to try and push for improved security and responses to spiking incidents.”

For example, one student alleged that the staff did not believe a victim and were instead “convinced she had inflicted this state upon herself despite reassurance from her supportive friends”, which led Sampson to argue for improved training. Staff of the venue, Sampson claimed, “seemed to be more concerned with the reputation of the club itself rather than helping the victim.” 

When approached for comment, Revolution Cambridge made no reference to the recent reports of spiking in their establishment, nor the petition, but said they have “always taken pride in the safety measures we have in place as a brand to make sure our guests enjoy themselves in a safe, friendly and inclusive environment.” 

The nightclub told Varsity they recently reviewed their safety policies in light of spiking incidents reported nationwide in the Autumn of 2021. The establishment said they worked with the Cambridgeshire council, licensing and police departments “to make sure there was not only an awareness around the issue, but also relevant training and resources invested into the matters.” 

Since the Autumn of 2021 there has been an alleged surge in reports of spiking in Britain. Almost 200 drink spiking incidents - including instances of spiking by injection - were reported to the police across the country in September and October.

The new petition follows student action last term. In Michaelmas, students organised a boycott of nightclubs (27/10), which was complemented by a nightclub safety appeal drawn up by the students’ unions of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin universities, as well as college JCRs, demanding that clubs take additional steps. 

Drink spiking remained a problem, however, as two students reported being spiked at a Hughes Hall bop in November and further reports surfaced on the Varsity ski trip last month.

Varsity reached out to Cambridge SU for comment