"There have been two cases that have reached us via the police, and there have also been two suspected cases that we ourselves have reported to the police. They involved the use of Rohypnol, which is known to be a sedative. Because we take the safety of our guests very seriously, we have to report this publicly," said Suhe CEO Inger-Helene Värat on ETV show "Ringvaade."

According to Värat, all the cases have followed a similar pattern.

"People come to the bar to have a good time, then go dancing or to the bathroom for example, and leave their drinks on the table. After this brief absence, they come back, finish their drink, and then very quickly lose consciousness. The person becomes hyperactive and shows signs of severe intoxication. This can have very serious health consequences," she explained.

In an effort to prevent similar situations from occurring again, the bar has increased the size of its security team and created additional roles with extra responsibilities related to keeping an eye on visitors. "There is also a security guard in plain clothes whose job is to monitor guests but not to check their documents," said Värat.

Värat emphasized that it is very difficult to detect drink spiking on the spot.

"Unfortunately, these kinds of activities are very difficult to notice. We still have to look back at it later on security camera footage. Our job on the spot is prevention and then providing first aid. Unfortunately, spiking drinks has been perfected to such an extent that it is quite difficult to detect," she said.

Elari Haugas, head of the serious crimes unit at the Police and Border Guard Board's (PPA) Northern Prefecture's said that spiking also occurs at private parties as well as at bars and nightclubs.

"Police statistics confirm that these type of drugging, whether with alcohol, narcotics such as GHB, or some other substance, tends to occur at private parties, in groups where the people involved are known to some degree. But they also occur from time to time in nightlife, and we take all these reports very seriously," Haugas said.

Haugas emphasized that victims should immediately contact the police for help if they have any suspicions that spiking has occurred.

"If a person wakes up in the morning and feels that they may have been spiked, that something may have been put in their drink, then the first thing they should do is call the emergency number – 112. The police will arrive, they have been instructed on what to do, and the person will be taken immediately to provide samples. And if, for example, rape or sexual abuse is also suspected, they will also be taken to specialist medical personnel. It is extremely important for us to obtain these samples quickly," Haugas explained.

The PPA use various methods to investigate these kinds of cases, including examining CCTV footage. "Security cameras are reviewed, sometimes for several hours. They look at the whole city, because sometimes people don't know where the spiking took place, and, sometimes, to be honest, they don't even remember which bars they went to," said Haugas.

According to Hauguas, the PPA receive about 100 reports of spiking every year, some of which lead to criminal proceedings.

Suhe Bar has taken steps to make drinking on its premises safer. Recently, drink-covering protective stickers have been introduced to prevent unauthorized persons from adding anything to customers' drinks.

"When you buy a drink, it is important that the rim of the glass or cup is dry, which can be done quickly with a napkin, then you put the sticker on top and insert a straw," explained Värat.

The PPA also consider preventive measures such as that one to be a useful deterrent. "The risks will always remain, so it is still not worth leaving your drink unattended, but it is a great sign of the problem being recognized and another step towards making spiking drinks more difficult," said Haugas.

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