If you’re a young person who has experienced Newcastle nightlife, chances are that either yourself or someone you know has had an experience with drink spiking.
Despite this, did you know that drink spiking is not included in Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) or security guard training?
Local community organisation against sexual assault, What Were You Wearing (WWYW) are demanding that the state government implement mandatory drink spiking and sexual violence awareness training for all bar staff and security guards across all nightclubs in NSW.
Their petition needs 20,000 signatures to trigger a NSW legislative assembly debate.
So far they have approx 17,000 signatures.
And four days until the petition closes.
If the petition reaches 20,000 signatures, WWYW will:
- Request that RSA training be amended to include a section on drink-spiking and sexual violence awareness
- Will call for funding to create mandatory signage for venues. Signage will include information on how to help a victim of drink spiking, as well as the signs and symptoms of drink spiking
- Encourage venues to implement their Drink Spiking Training Workshops
- Work with venues to ensure they are a safe space for all
If you think that bar and security staff should be equipped with trauma-informed drink spiking and sexual violence prevention training, you can access the petition HERE.
The petition closes on Thursday the 25th of May, 2023.
Feature image by Sophie Jaggers, Yak Writer