The parents of a tragic Lanarkshire teenager, who died from his drink being spiked, have launched a new appeal to tackle the "horrendous" crime.
Greg Mackie was only 18 when he was found dead at Edinburgh College following the incident in 2017.
He was discovered by a janitor in the bathroom on campus.
The tragedy devastated his family, but through their grief, parents Colin and Mandy Mackie, from Biggar, decided to launch a campaign to tackle drink-spiking and they now lead Spike Aware UK.
The couple began distributing fliers in universities, colleges and pubs in a bid to raise awareness of drink-spiking, followed by informative beer mats and protective drinks lids.
Now, nearly five years on from the loss of their son, Colin and Mandy are appealing for support with a national survey on spiking.
The new questionnaire hopes to understand people's experiences with suspected drink-spiking and how it has affected them.
Colin and Mandy's campaign has been backed by Central Scotland MSP Monica Lennon who met with them in the Scottish Parliament to discuss their work with Spike Aware UK.
Colin said: “We were so pleased to meet Monica and we are very grateful for her support.
“Drink and needle spiking is a complex issue and very much a hidden crime. It can be difficult for some victims to come forward once they have been attacked, and data around the issues is needed.
“We hope our national survey will help highlight the complexity of drink and needle spiking. We will use the data from our survey to campaign to raise awareness and lobby the authorities to be more active around spiking issues.
“Our son Greg was a spiking victim and lost his life, we don't want any more young lives to be lost to this horrendous crime.”
Ms Lennon added: “It was a pleasure to meet with Colin and Mandy to hear more about their work leading Spike Aware UK.
“From the saddest of tragedies in losing their beloved son, Greg, they have launched a really inspiring and much-needed campaign.
“Greg was a talented young man with a passion for speedway driving and a bright future ahead of him.
“Drink and needle spiking are despicable acts that unfortunately are becoming more prevalent.
“With Spike Aware UK, Colin and Mandy are doing a fantastic job at raising awareness and I would encourage as many people as possible to complete the survey.”
The couple's survey can be completed the here.
Find out more about Spike Aware UK on its website.
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