A MOTION urging Belfast City Council to provide anti-drink-spiking kits to bars across Belfast has been approved by the City Hall licensing committee and will now go before full Council in October for ratification. 

The motion was brought by the Alliance Party's Micky Murray who says he hopes it will “make Belfast’s night-time economy a safer place.”

The plans include both the distribution of spiking test kits and training for local staff on administering them. The scheme secured cross-party support.

Speaking after the committee meeting, Cllr Murray said: “With the further expansion of the city’s night-time economy, Belfast City Council have a responsibility to ensure that our city is a safe place for people to visit and enjoy themselves in.

“With the introduction of this scheme in licensed premises throughout the city we have the crucial opportunity to help reduce spiking incidents and work towards reducing incidents of ASB and sexual assaults, which remain unfortunate scourges on the city’s nightlife industry, as well as get early medical interventions to victims of spiking-related incidents.

“With this scheme, we aim to not only deter those who are planning on spiking someone, but also provide information to potential victims, and others, on how to get the testing kits and where to access resources and support should they think that they or their friends have been spiked.

 “This is an initiative that’s been led by Queen’s Students' Union, who are providing drink testing kits in their bars now that they have reopened for the new term.”

The testing kits can take many forms but the most popular is a test card on to which a drop of liquid is placed which will then indicate if the drink has been spiked.