I dropped to the floor and couldn't move - spiking can happen anywhere

Tirion Richards, a 31-year-old woman from Brechfa in Carmarthenshire, experienced a terrifying ordeal in January when her drink was allegedly spiked in Cardigan, Ceredigion, causing her to collapse and become completely paralyzed while conscious, as she shares her story to raise awareness that spiking can happen in rural areas as well as cities. The incident occurred during a night out with friends when Tirion was walking back to her mother's house, suddenly dropping to the floor unable to move her legs or lift her head despite being fully aware. 'I remember that I couldn't move my legs. I was really struggling to put one foot in front of the other,' Tirion recounted, describing how her friends carried her to her sister's house where she collapsed and choked on her vomit because she couldn't lift her head. She initially attributed her symptoms to a hangover but realized what likely happened when she pieced the events together the next morning, reporting the incident to police and providing a urine sample while awaiting results. Tirion's story is not isolated, as Lorraine Beattie from the same rural area shared a similar experience of being spiked at a birthday drinks event where she 'phased out' after her second drink and woke up in hospital covered in vomit. 'It could've killed me, if I had not been with sensible people who demanded an ambulance,' Lorraine stated, noting medical staff initially suspected she was drunk until blood tests proved otherwise. Both women expressed shock that such incidents could occur in a rural area, challenging the misconception that spiking only happens in major cities. Dawn Dines, CEO of Stamp Out Spiking charity, emphasized that spiking 'can happen at any place, at any time, and to anybody,' calling for government funding to train bar staff and provide drink covers in venues. A Cardiff University report found that 91% of spiking victims were female, with 55% aged 18-25, highlighting that this crime predominantly targets young people and can be carried out by both acquaintances and strangers.