The parents of a teenager who died after his drink was spiked want people who carry out the acts to be punished by imprisonment as new figures showed the number of cases is soaring.

The Daily Record can reveal that 103 spiking cases were reported to Police Scotland in 2024 rising to 144 last year - an increase of 40 percent.

Already 117 spiking crimes have been reported to police up to August 17 this year.

The vast majority of targets are women with 83 falling victim in 2024, 103 in 2025 and 90 so far this year.

Ecstasy, LSD, and Ketamine are among the drugs routinely being used to spike drinks.

In other cases predators slip date rape drugs like Rohypnol or GHB into a woman's drink before attempting to sexually assault them when they become drowsy or incapacitated.

Colin Mackie, whose son Greg died aged just 18 after his drink was spiked, wants a single offence of drink spiking made law in Scotland as it is in England and Wales.

Colin and mum Mandy, from Elvanfoot in Dumfriesshire, lost Greg in November, 2017 when he collapsed in his halls of residence while studying Film and Media at Edinburgh College.

His parents believe his drink was contaminated with five ecstasy tablets .

No one has ever been prosecuted.

Following Greg's death, Colin and Mandy formed Spike Aware UK to increase awareness of the crime and to prevent future tragedy and heartbreak for families.

Greg had been filming a documentary on drugs and dad Colin believes that could have made him a target.

He told the Daily Record:"I am not surprised by the figures.

I also think that they may be the tip of the iceberg.

"We know that many people do not realise they have been drugged for several days afterwards.

They may think that it is too late to tell the police.

That is why the earlier a drink spiking is reported the better." Colin says people are now more aware of drink spiking which may also explain the rise in the numbers contacting the police.

Another spiking ploy is to add stronger alcohol to a drink and in some cases perpetrators have been known to inject their victim with drugs.

Though many of the incidents are sexually motivated people can be victims of misguided prank spiking.

There have also been reports of people having their drinks spiked so that the perpetrators can steal their phones to access banking apps and steal money from their accounts.

Colin wants it made compulsory for bars to provide lids for drinks which he believes would be a big deterrent to spiking attacks.

His calls for a new crime of spiking in Scotland has been rejected so far despite it being made law down south in April last year.

Colin added: "That is something we are pushing for with the Scottish Government.

We have tried on many occasions to get a meeting with the Justice Minister Neil Gray on this.

"I am still hoping he will find time to speak to me.

I believe that making spiking a crime and punishable by imprisonment would be a big deterrent.

"People might think twice about spiking if they thought it would affect their job or place at college or university." In the last few days Colin and Mandy have been meeting students across the UK at their Freshers Weeks to warn them of the dangers of drink spiking.

They spoke at Strathclyde University on Monday and have talks planned with students in Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy.

The Mackie's have also been travelling on trains with officers from British Transport Police speaking to passengers of all ages to alert them to the danger of drink spiking on nights out.

Colin believes compulsory lids for drinks would be good business for Scotland's ailing pub trade.

He added:"The night-time industry is struggling because young people are worried about being spiked.

"They are more likely to use bars that provide them.

Colin would also like to see better training of stewards and improved CCTV which he says is normally grainy and of poor quality making identification of suspects difficult.

He added:" In some cases you wouldn't be able to identify your brother never mind a tablet being dropped into a drink." The spiking figures, released by Police Scotland under Freedom of Information , also show that only one in seven cases result in a detection.

Colin believes the lack of arrests is due to the fact that people often do not realise they have been spiked until several days have elapsed, by which time vital evidence is lost.

Many bar premises are also poorly lit making further identification difficult.

A women's safety group yesterday joined in the calls....