Needle Spiking: A Scoping Review on Prevalence, Motivations, and Health Outcomes

This scoping review aimed to synthesize peer-reviewed evidence on the prevalence, motivations, and outcomes of needle spiking. A systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar databases was conducted on February 13, 2025, and revealed six articles that met the inclusion criteria. The review found that despite the rise in media attention, the incidence of reported needle spiking is relatively low. Victims are predominantly younger females who report needle spiking to their arms or legs, mainly while at nightlife venues. Despite reports of nausea, dizziness, and amnesia, toxicological testing tends to be negative, sometimes resulting in the victims’ claims being discredited, causing psychological distress. Needle spiking is usually the primary assault, with 7% linked to sexual offenses. The motive for needle spiking is unclear but is speculated as being to instill fear and exert violence against women. A trauma-informed care approach which acknowledges the discrepancies between reported incidents and toxicological confirmation and recognizes the traumatic experiences is recommended in addressing this problem. Attention should be given to actionable interventions such as specialized teams in nightlife venues to implement harm-mitigating measures to reduce risk while avoiding the moral panic narrative perpetuated by the media.