Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police are launching a week-long campaign to tackle drink and needle spiking.
The initiative aims to raise awareness among students, bust myths and encourage early reporting.
Officers will be visiting colleges and universities to give advice on staying safe and supporting friends.
Between September last year and August this year, the force received 169 reports of spiking — most involving drinks, and 20 linked to needles.
Neighbourhood officers will be visiting colleges and universities to encourage people enjoying nights out to be vigilant to the symptoms of spiking and report it to police straightaway, should it happen to them or a friend.
Superintendent Phil Lamb, Force Lead for Neighbourhood policing, Night-Time Economy and Safer Streets, said: “Spiking is an abhorrent crime and can have significant, traumatic impact on victims and feelings of safety. Each year we receive a small number of reports of spiking, with a small but notable increase in the Summer and Autumn.
"We are not always able to determine the reasons why a perpetrator carries out an assault in this way, and it may not always be for a sexual purpose. However; It can put people at significant risk of harm, and we will take every report seriously and investigate thoroughly.
“We continue to work proactively within the night-time economy, including covertly to target predatory behaviour and safeguard victims from harm. We have well established partnerships with licenced premises and educational institutions all of which help us to both prevent and respond to offences being committed.
"Women, and men, should be able to enjoy a night out without fear of being spiked and all pubs, clubs and other venues we work with strive to ensure they are a safe space for all.
“The early reporting of spiking and testing is key as drugs can pass through the system quickly. Self-testing kits, which are available across night-time economy sites in our area are a positive tool, but they do not test for all drugs and people should be mindful of this.
“Anyone who reports having their drink spiked will be taken seriously. We strongly encourage anyone who is a victim of spiking to report it to police straightaway to give the best chances of capturing evidence. If a crime is in progress call 999, otherwise we would advise calling 101 or reporting online on our website.”
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