There have been hundreds of needle attacks reported by clubgoers in Europe.
Nightclub and bar owners are trying to raise awareness around a rise in “needle spiking” that is taking place in a slew of recent attacks. CBS reports more than 300 people have reported being randomly poked and pricked in clubs across France.
Authorities reportedly still don’t know the culprit behind the attacks or whether or not victims are being injected with drugs or other substances, the news outlet reports. Other reports of needle spiking have been submitted from people in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Some victims of needle spiking say they felt dizzy and gained a headache, later finding out that they’d been pricked. Victims also report finding a skin puncture or bruising after they’ve been poked, CBS News reports.
Some victims even had to go to the hospital and get tested when the feelings of dizziness and headaches lingered. Some say they’ve opted to no longer attend parties or clubs over the issues.
Officials say that to inject someone with a drug or substance the needle would need to be penetrated into the skin for several moments, which a person would notice. Officials believe the pricks contain GHB, a depressant drug that slows down messages that are being transported to the brain, CBS News reports.
“We didn’t find any drugs or substances or objective proof which attest to … administration of a substance with wrongful or criminal intent. What we fear the most is people contracting HIV, hepatitis or any infectious disease” from the jabs, said Dr. Emmanuel Puskarczyk, head of the poison control center of the eastern French city of Nancy, CBS News reports.
