It’s a major increase.

Cork Gardaí have issued a warning that multiple cases of spiking have been reported to the Cork City Garda Division since the October Bank Holiday.

In a report in today’s Irish Examiner, Chief Superintendent Tom Myers noted that the division had dealt with 13 reports of spiking over the last six weeks.

The senior guard advised that anyone who believes they have been spiked should arrange a blood test.

Myers told the Cork City Joint Policing Committee that 62 reports of such crimes had been reported nationally so far this year, just over 20% of which have come in Cork city in the past few weeks alone.

At the end of November, Gardaí confirmed they’d received 25 reports of “needle-spiking,” a new phenomenon which has seen major media coverage in the United Kingdom during the latter half of this year, though details are scant so far on how exactly the process is thought to work.

Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said last month that planning is underway on an awareness campaign to alert students to the dangers of spiking. Harris described “growing and worrying reports” of spiking both in the United Kingdom and at home.