What knockout drops mean in everyday life
Although the topic is gaining increasing attention and more and more people are affected, there are still hardly any reliable statistics on how many people are given knockout drops each year. However, it can be said with certainty that the number of cases is tending to increase. In Baden-Württemberg alone, 74% more crimes were registered in connection with such substances. It is noticeable that women* in particular are affected by this threat. According to statistics, around 80% of known victims are female. The actual number of unreported cases is likely to be considerably higher. One reason for this is that knockout drops can only be detected for a short time – and many victims do not reach medical or trained personnel in time.
Despite numerous campaigns and dedicated associations that want to educate and help, there are still many people who do not know that – or how – they can protect themselves. Even experts, such as in the police, in clinics or in club staff, often do not know how to react correctly in an emergency – or make the wrong decision out of uncertainty. The consequences of knockout drops can be serious and unpredictable.
They often start with supposedly harmless symptoms such as nausea or dizziness before quickly developing their actual effect: unconsciousness, memory loss and complete defenselessness.
To better understand your experiences, wishes and fears, we have started a short survey. Around 100 people took part in our survey and we would like to share the results with you.
Firstly, we wanted to know whether the participants themselves or people in their environment had already had experiences with knockout drops – and how much the topic influences their behavior when going out.
Many people now feel very uncomfortable and insecure when celebrating. This was also confirmed by our survey, in which at least 35% regularly feel insufficiently protected at events. We not only asked about the uncertainty regarding their own drink, but also the general well-being in the club. Here we wanted to specifically address whether the respondents feel sufficiently protected by the organizers. Here we had to determine, shockingly but also alarmingly, that well over half of all partygoers do not feel that they are in good hands when partying in the club, at festivals and the like.
To protect themselves and their friends, many people try never to leave their drink unattended, to always keep an eye on it – and even to watch the bartender closely. But that is exactly what makes it difficult to really let go and dance carefree to the music.
These measures may be inconvenient, but they can help to better protect yourself in uncertain situations. That’s why we also wanted to find out in our survey which measures are currently being taken to protect your own drink.
Literature sources
SWR (October 26, 2024). Police in BW record more crimes with knockout drops. Last accessed on July 13, 2025 at 12.21 from https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/k-o-tropfen-immer-haeufiger-heimlich-in-bars-clubs-100.html
WEISSER RING e.V. First toasted, then knocked out! Last accessed on July 13, 2025 at 2.42 PM from https://weisser-ring.de/tipps-gegen-k-o-tropfen
