Drink Spiking Awareness Program
The City of Austin is committed to encouraging safe, vibrant entertainment districts through education and outreach in partnership with community stakeholders and business leaders. In April 2024, the City of Austin launched Sip Safely, a pilot program designed to raise awareness about the crime of drink spiking and provide prevention education.
What is drink spiking?
Drink spiking is the act of adding additional alcohol or drugs to a drink without the knowledge of the person consuming it. A spiked drink makes the person drinking it susceptible to criminal acts, including sexual assault and robbery.
Be aware
Protect yourself and others from drink spiking:
- Never leave your drink unattended
- Watch your drink being poured
- Be cautious about taking a drink from someone you don’t know
- Use a drink cover
- Watch out for others in your party
Symptoms
An individual who consumes a spiked drink will show symptoms within 10 to 30 minutes. These may include:
- Inability to clearly communicate
- Poor coordination or vision
- Hallucinations/paranoia
- Confusion/disorientation
- Nausea/vomiting
- Unconsciousness
- Sip Safely Bar Participants
Contact us if you are a bar owner/operator interested in participating.
Participants in the Sip Safely pilot program:
- Augustine
- Austin Garden and Studio
- Antone’s Nightclub
- Bangers Sausage House & Beer Garden
- Bar 508 Mezcalerita
- Barbarella
- Black Sheep Lodge
- Burnsides
- Busty’s Bar & Jukebox
- Central Machine Works
- Cheer Up Charlies
- Cheers
- Chupacabra
- Clive Bar
- Copperhead
- Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden
- Cosmic Saltillo
- Daydreamer
- Dizzy Rooster
- Drinks Backyard
- Drinks Lounge
- Drinks Lounge South
- El Cockfight
- Emo's
- Frazier’s Long & Low
- Friends
- Gnar Bar
- Green Light Social
- High Noon
- Hotel Vegas
- Idle Hands
- Inn Cahoots
- Jackalope
- Jackalope Southshore
- Key Bar
- Little Woodrows - Southpark Meadows
- Low Down Lounge
- Lucille
- Lustre Pearl
- Mama Dearest
- Meanwhile Brewing
- Moonlight
- Parlor & Yard
- Parlor Room
- Peckerheads
- Pelons Tex Mex
- Play on West 6th
- Red Headed Step Child
- Rustic Tap
- Scoot Inn
- Shangri-La
- Speakeasy
- Swan Dive
- The Courtyard
- The Far Out Lounge & Stage
- The Grackle
- The Liberty
- The Lodge
- The Pub
- The Treasury
- The Venue
- The White Horse
- This Too Shall Pass
- Tipsy Alchemist
- Voodoo Room
- Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
- Wyld Bar
- Printable Resources
- Program History
The Safer Sixth Initiative, which has been shaped by Council Resolutions 20210729-175 and 20220303-061, articulate that vision. Austin City Mayor and Council have since provided additional guidance and resources for this important effort, including allocating $100,000 in the 2023-2024 budget for the creation of this drink-spiking awareness pilot program.
Funding
- Facilitated the purchase and distribution of drink-spiking test strips to area bars
- Supported Sobering Center outreach to entertainment district employees and patrons to raise awareness about what drink spiking is, how to reduce the threat by learning to recognize suspicious activity, and how to support victims and report suspected incidents
- Expanded sexual assault prevention and bystander intervention training by Safe Alliance for bar operators and staff
ATX Drink Spiking Council Item Video - 8/10/2023
Contact Us
If you have questions or feedback about Sip Safely or are a bar owner/operator interested in participating, email sipsafely@austintexas.gov.