: Mrs. Michnevich, Mrs. Bendau, you are researching knockout drops at Berlin’s Charité. What exactly is meant by that?
Antonia Bendau: We research the covert administration of psychoactive substances. Researchers speak of “spiking,” meaning “to mix in.” We do not use the term knockout drops, because it suggests that substances that KO people are always used, causing dizziness, fatigue or memory gaps.
: Isn’t that the case?
Bendau: Stimulant substances such as MDMA can also be used, where one experiences a higher heart rate, sweats and perhaps becomes more outgoing than usual. The term “drops” also suggests that the administered substances are always liquid. However, it can also be powders or crushed tablets.
: The federal government published in February a large dark-field study on experiences of violence, “Life situation, safety and strain in daily life,” short LeSuBiA. 6.7 percent of women reported having ever received knockout drops, i.e., every 15th woman. Were you surprised by this high number?
Twyla Michnevich: First of all, one must say that this study is unique in the existing research. For the first time there are representative figures of how many people in Germany suspect they have experienced spiking. That is a major advance.
Bendau: We ourselves conducted a nightlife study, where as much as a quarter of respondents suspected it had happened to them. In this sense, the figure in the LeSuBiA study did not surprise us. It is also important to note that not only every 15th woman, but also roughly every 30th man in Germany believes they have become a victim of spiking. This aspect is often not highlighted in the discourse. There are many prejudices about spiking that only distort the reality.
In the Interview: Twyla Michnevich, Antonia Bendau
Twyla Michnevich is a resident physician at the Charité’s Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy in Berlin. Since 2023 she has been a member of the Recreational Drugs Working Group and leads projects on spiking.
Antonia Bendau is a psychologist and research staff member at the Charité’s Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. She is co‑leader of the Recreational Drugs Working Group.
: What do you think?
Michnevich: The range of substances is much broader than is commonly assumed. In public debate about knockout drops, the substances typically named are those known as GHB and GBL, often referred to as ” Liquid Ecstasy.” However, there is no evidence in international findings that these substances are the most commonly administered. Cannabinoids as well as sedatives such as benzodiazepines are detected, and indeed stimulants like amphetamines and MDMA as well.
Bendau: We also note that stereotypes – the anonymous male offender mixing something into a drink in a club – do not capture the full spectrum of suspected perpetrators. Spiking can also occur within acquaintances, not only in public places, but also in domestic settings or at private gatherings like dates. Spiking is usually associated with nightlife, but it can also happen during the day.
Michnevich: The assumptions and fears fueled by societal narratives are somewhat misguided.
: The LeSuBiA study’s figures are self-assessments. How often can secretly administered substances be detected in the lab?
Michnevich: That is not easy, because some substances only show up in blood and urine within twelve hours. In studies in the United Kingdom and Australia, samples from people who had sought emergency care with suspicion of spiking within this window were analyzed. We are researching this at Charité as well. The results are similar. Many of those affected report knowingly consuming alcohol; alcohol intoxication is often detected. Often other drugs are also detectable, which people consumed deliberately. In 5 to 20 percent of cases, a substance is found that the affected individuals did not knowingly consume.
: So does that mean only a fraction is confirmed in the lab?
Michnevich: The results suggest that that is indeed the case.
: Can one conclude that the phenomenon is overall overrated?
Bendau: No, we wouldn’t say so. In emergency rooms spiking can only be demonstrated in a small part. Nevertheless there are also those affected who do not know that they are victims of spiking. The Pelicot trial in France dramatically showed this.
Michnevich: Investigations by Strg_F have uncovered chat groups where users discuss how to drug and rape women. These groups have up to tens of thousands of members. We simply do not know how many people are affected by these crimes.
: Could it be that perpetrators use new substances that are not yet known in the lab?
Michnevich: The probability is very, very low. The samples are separated into their chemical components in the lab, and the results are then compared with constantly updated databases. For new designer drugs, the molecular core is only slightly modified, which can be identified as well.
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: You say that alcohol is often detectable in the samples. What role does it play in spiking?
Michnevich: It is suspected that most people are spiked with alcohol, meaning that secretly more alcohol is administered than they intend to consume, when, for example, an extra shot is mixed in.
: Is alcohol the most widespread form of knockout drops?
Michnevich: It is assumed. Over 80 percent of people in the studies knowingly consumed alcohol. In the lab, one cannot distinguish whether it was consciously ingested or secretly administered alcohol. That is not counted as confirmed spiking.
: It could also be that someone miscounts while drinking and has a blackout.
Michnevich: That certainly happens. People usually go to emergency departments because their consumption does not match the effect they know. The affected then look for an explanation; spiking can be one.
Bendau: Also how the topic is reported influences the numbers. There are waves. When drastic examples of spiking are in the media, there are more suspected cases. We then don’t know: Do people recognize sooner that it really happened to them? Are there perhaps copycat offenders and thus more cases? Or is the topic more present, and the suspicion of spiking becomes more frequent because of that? No statement can be made about this.
: In France, at the Fête de la Musique in June, after reports on social media, many young people claimed to have been attacked with injections. Because nothing could be proven, many subsequently thought of mass panic.
Bendau: I don’t find the blanket classification of such reports as mass panic helpful. Especially because the affected should be taken seriously in any case, regardless of the toxicological finding. There is quickly this judgment that they imagine it all. That is problematic. Simply believing that it happened to you can be very bad.
: What psychological effects does such a suspicion have?
Bendau: Whether confirmed or not: The affected experience a loss of control. They have symptoms they cannot assign to anything, this uncertainty is very burdensome. In the medium term they can develop an anxiety disorder, they may avoid parties, restrain themselves. Such an experience can even trigger post-traumatic symptoms. That depends on what happened. If there was a violent assault in connection with spiking, then the likelihood of more severe psychological consequences is higher.
: Can one be traumatized by something one may not have actually experienced?
Bendau: If a person has memory gaps and otherwise did not perceive a threat, the uncertainty can indeed be very burdensome. However, that does not fulfill the trauma criterion. If someone, for example, loses control over their body, lies somewhere, feels extreme fear and has no way to escape, then that can indeed lead to post-traumatic symptoms with triggers and flashbacks.
: The government has announced to equate the use of knockout drops in robberies or sexual offenses with dangerous tools and weapons legally. Their use could be punished more severely. How do you view that?
Bendau: Good. The only thing is that the term knockout drops is – as mentioned – not ideal. Knockout drops were also recently discussed in the context of another law: the prohibition of nitrous oxide and GBL/BDO, which comes into force this Sunday. In that act the substances GBL and BDO are used synonymously with knockout drops …
: … which, as we now know, is misleading.
Bendau: Exactly. That reinforces stereotypes about spiking.
: One would expect the government to take a more nuanced look at this?
Bendau: Absolutely. We would like – not only in the handling of terminology – a stronger involvement of research. Knowledge about spiking may still be quite limited. But what is known should be taken into account.
