05/11/2024

Alliance Calls For Increased Action On Drink Spiking

The Alliance Party has called for increased action to help stamp out drink spiking, which Ormiston Councillor Jenna Maghie described as a "scourge on our society".

At a full meeting of Belfast City Council on Monday night, Cllr Maghie reaffirmed her commitment to bringing forward a report on how to facilitate supplying spike testing kits at council events and events that happen on the council estate.

Cllr Maghie has said: "Our night-time economy is an essential aspect of Belfast's social fabric, and it's something everyone should be able to enjoy without fearing for their safety.
News Image
"Drink spiking is a scourge on society and speaking as someone who has unfortunately been victim to it, it's a terrifying experience and we must be proactive in our attempts to stamp it out.

"My colleague Cllr Micky Murray brought a motion on this over a year ago, inspired by Queens University introducing kits on their property. By ensuring drink spiking testing kits are available across Belfast City Council events and venues, we can help to prevent and reduce spiking incidents and get early medical interventions to victims of spiking related incidents, as well as help reduce incidents of ASB and sexual assaults in our city.

"We as a council must lead the way on keeping people safe in our city, particularly young women who are way too often made dangerously vulnerable by the criminal behaviour committed recklessly against them, and take every measure to prevent drink spiking in our venues."

Related Irish News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

19 November 2024
Neurodiversity In The Workplace Centre Stage At Entrepreneurs Conference
The topic of neurodiversity within the entrepreneurial journey and in the workplace will be just one of the many topics of discussion happening at a new conference happening in Belfast this month.
02 July 2013
DCC Grant MCD Phoenix Park License
Three concerts to be held next week in Phoenix Park are to go ahead, after Dublin City Council granted licenses, despite complaints, to promoter MCD. Local residents had raised objections to the shows in light of last summer's Swedish House Mafia concert, at which six people were stabbed, 40 were treated for injuries and 30 were arrested.
24 August 2011
Illegal NI Waste Shipped South
Officials from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) and Dublin City Council started returning an estimated 10,500 tonnes of waste from rural Ballymartin in scenic Co Down to the Irish Republic this week.
13 December 2010
Dubliners Urged To Conserve Water
Dublin City Council is urging residents to conserve water as the threat of a shortage looms. In a statement from the council over the weekend, residents have been told that due to a "huge increase" in demand for water, all areas will have their supply restricted over the weekend.
24 September 2008
Lead Contamination Feared For 1,000 Galway Homes
Residents in the Old Mervue area of Galway have been advised not to drink tap water until further notice. Council engineers in the area have begun work on the water supply for up to 1,000 householders of the city where they suspect supplies have been contaminated by lead.