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
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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
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Together We Can Stop the Spike (PDF)
Juntos podemos acabar con la narcotización furtiva de bebidas. (PDF)
让我们携手合作，共同制止这一不法行为。(PDF)
Cùng nhau, chúng ta có thể ngăn chặn việc bỏ thuốc vào đồ uống. (PDF)
معًا يمكننا إيقاف الارتفاع. (PDF)
함께 노력하면 스파이킹을 막을 수 있습니다. (PDF)
- Program History
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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.