Queen’s student says she was victim of ‘needle spiking’ at downtown Kingston bar

A night out with friends took a terrifying turn for a Queen's university student earlier this month when she said she became the victim of an attempted 'needle spiking.'

A night out with friends took a terrifying turn for a Queen’s university student earlier this month when she says she became the victim of an attempted needle spiking.

“Needle spiking” happens when a person is drugged through a hypodermic needle. It has been reported frequently in the U.K., and it’s becoming more common in North America.

“I knew I had to leave the dance floor because I had this feeling that something had happened,” the student said.

On March 5, the third-year Queen’s student, whom Global News has decided not to name, says someone stuck her with a needle while she was dancing with friends at Trinity Social, a downtown Kingston nightclub.

“I was jumping and something flashed and all of a sudden my arm felt like similar to when you get a needle or a vaccine,” the woman said.

Experts say needle spiking attacks have become a common way to administer date-rape drugs.

The student said she immediately got help from the bar’s staff, who called an ambulance and looked after her while she waited to be transferred to hospital.

“I have such a vivid memory of the needle coming toward me that I think it helps me want to tell my story since I can help protect other people who might not be able to remember,” the woman said.