Preventative Tool Detects Date Rape Drugs and Minimises Drink Spiking

A new version of the award winning Drink Safe technology has been launched to tackle the growing global concern of drink spiking and drug facilitated sexual assault.

MELBOURNE, Australia (PRWEB) April 22, 2005 -- Fears from the hospitality industry that an increasing number of patrons are at risk from having their drinks spiked with drugs such as GHB and Ketamine have led Drink Safe Technologies to develop an Australian first -Drink Safe Coaster.

Available now, the Drink Safe Coaster, a card the shape of a coaster, is part of a million dollar investment by Drink Safe Technologies in producing products to detect the presence of illicit drugs in beverages.

The test takes only seconds and is as easy as placing a couple of drops from your drink onto the active test spots. This can be done with a straw or finger.

Each card contains two separate litmus-type tests on a 10cm square card similar to a standard coaster. The test contains a patented technology which changes colour when in contact with liquid spiked with GHB (aka Fantasy, Liquid Ecstasy, Grievous Bodily Harm) and Ketamine (aka Special K, Kitty Kat or K), the two most popular illicit drugs used in drink spiking. These colourless, odourless and virtually tasteless drugs were impossible to detect by patrons before this technology was invented. In 2002, Time Magazine awarded the test kits as one of the best new inventions of the year.

Director of Drink Safe Technologies, Dean Sunshine who is at the forefront of the technology says, Adapted from the original kits with award winning patented technology, the bar cards are now available for all hospitality venues to purchase. All patrons should have access to a product that can detect if these drugs have been slipped into their drink, especially if they have left their drink unattended for any length of time while dancing, visiting the cloakrooms or buying drinks and snacks."

We firmly believe that this product will not only provide venues with the additional tool required to assist in reducing the increasing problem of drink spiking, but also further raise the awareness of this growing social problem and send out a clear message to the spikers, that the venues are now being proactive in combating this problem.

Our mission is to stop this crime before it even happens," added Sunshine. Large quantities of these have already been distributed in the USA saving countless people from becoming victims."

A recent survey by the Australian Institute of Criminology found up to five people a day were being sexually assaulted as a result of drink spiking. The research showed 4,500 people a year had their drinks spiked, 40 per cent of them were then sexually assaulted and 10 per cent of the victims were male.

The Drink Safe Coasters are a unique product and the first of their kind in Australia. Since the launch of the Drink Spike Detector (small credit card size testing kit) in 2003, the product has proven to be a preventative measure against this growing national concern.

In a three month period, 18 reported incidents of drink spiking took place at local bars and clubs around the University of Wollongong, nine of these confirmed by medical testing. Drink Spike Detector was then introduced and for the next six months, there was not a single spiking reported.

Alcohol is the drug most commonly associated with sexual assault, but incidents involving other drugs are on the rise. These drugs are particularly dangerous when combined with alcohol and could possibly be lethal. As with any coerced sexual activity, victims of drug-facilitated sexual assault cannot protect themselves from HIV, other sexually transmitted diseases, or unintended pregnancy.

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