Drink spiking has been on the rise since the 1990s, with a recent study finding around four per cent of heterosexual men and ten per cent of women and sexual minorities experiencing this crime.
Without special tools, drugs such as gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and ketamine, which are tasteless and odourless, are nearly impossible to detect.
Now, University of British Columbia researchers have invented the Spikeless stir stick, an apparently ordinary-looking stirrer that can detect commonly used spiking drugs in around 30 seconds.
The single-use stirrer has a discreet bioplastic tip that changes colour upon drug detection.
The simple and affordable solution works in any drink, alcoholic or not, and does not alter its taste or cause contamination.
Intended for large scale use in bars, pubs, festivals or anywhere that alcohol is served, Spikeless shifts the problem of prevention from individuals to venues.
“Anywhere there’s a bar … there’s a risk,” said co-inventor Samin Yousefi, a UBC master’s student in chemical and biological engineering.
Sasha Santos, an expert in public health, education and violence prevention has been an advisor to the team.
“Prevention has often focused on individuals, but research and long-standing community health practices show us that these approaches don’t work,” Santos said.
Importantly, early feedback from hospitality experts has been positive, with many believing the proactive safety measure could easily become ubiquitous across venues.
“If people feel safer because a venue offers Spikeless, that’s a competitive advantage,” said lead researcher Dr Johan Foster, PhD.
The concept of Spikeless was created in 2011 by Foster and his brother, Andrew. The prototype has been in development over the past three years and will soon be available for testing in the real-world.
A startup will be launched to scale production.
