While it can seem like something that only happens on TV shows, or at least something that can't happen to you, the reality is that date rape drugs are real and it can happen to anyone. In fact, one study found that one in 13 college students say they had been drugged, or suspect they had been drugged, in the past academic year. Because it's such a common issue, a group of high school students in Miami invented a straw to detect the most common date rape drugs in hopes of protecting people against being drugged.
The Miami Herald reports Susana Cappello, Carolina Baigorri, and Victoria Roca invented a straw that detects two of the most common date rape drugs, winning the newspaper's Business Plan Challenge. The three came up with the idea as a way to address what they called a growing problem.
“We were really passionate about this so we kept on pursuing it,” Susana told the Herald. “Our goal is to reduce the [date rape] statistics.”
According to RAINN, date rape drugs are drugs or alcohol used to inhibit a person's ability to function, making it easier to sexually assault that person. While not all people who are drugged are sexually assaulted, RAINN points out these drugs are often used by perpetrators to manipulate their victims. Alcohol is the most common drug used to facilitate sexual assault, according to RAINN, but other medications including anxiety and sleep drugs, tranquilizers, and muscle relaxers are also used. Street drugs like GHB, rohypnol, ecstasy, and ketamine can be added to someone's drink without changing the color or odor, making it hard to tell if someone has put something in your drink. While symptoms of being drugged can vary depending on the substance, RAINN says common symptoms include difficulty breathing, feeling intoxicated even if you haven't consumed that much alcohol, nausea, a change in body temperature, dizziness, waking up with no or limited memory, and more.
The straws, called Smart Straws, turn blue when placed in a drink that contains the drugs ketamine or GHB. If the straw doesn't turn blue, meaning the drugs aren't present, the test does not contaminate the liquid and it is still good to drink. The genius of the straw is, unlike other testing kits, no one has to know you're using a device to test for drugs. The girls told the Herald they designed their test as a straw because they knew of other kits out there, but doubted people were actually using them in social settings. And when the three girls polled college students on whether they would use their invention, 85% said they would.
Hopefully, you'll soon be able to pop the straw in your bag before a night out. The three girls are working out how to manufacture the straw, according to Refinery29, then plan to crowdfund the project.
Related: Is Drunk Sex Considered Rape?
