‘Anything Could Have Happened’: Women, the Night-time Economy, Alcohol and Drink Spiking

Abstract

This article explores how 40 women interviewed in the north of England used spaces in the night-time economy and consumed alcohol. The most significant issues were: age of the women, risk and ‘luck’, drink spiking, and night-time economy spaces themselves. The notion of safety (and strategies for ensuring safety) is illustrated. Palpable fear existed for the women interviewed, related to concerns about unprovoked violence towards them by (male) users of the night-time economy. These fears are embedded within a rich exploration of the embodied experience of being a female consumer and actor within alcohol-centred night-time spaces.