Drink spiking, where alcohol or other drugs are added to a person's drink without him or her knowing, is a growing problem in bars and clubs. Tom Martin, 23, a design student at London's Brunel University hopes to combat this with his new invention. According to CNN News, Martin created the "Hollow," a glass that is specifically designed to prevent drinks from being spiked. The Hollow is a special, two-walled glass with a hollow, bottomless center. The inner wall of the glass is lower than the outer, and there is a narrow gap between the two walls. The nozzle of the Hollow is directly attached to the optic used to pour spirits, but once the optic is removed, it becomes virtually impossible to add anything inside because of the narrowness of the gap.
Martin told CNN, "If you were to drop anything into the glass, it would go straight to the middle. If any drug did land inside the walls of the glass, it would be such a low percentage that it wouldn't have an effect."
Aside from its design, the Hollow comes with another protection device against drink tampering. A mat that the Hollow sits on changes color, depending on how long it has been left unattended. According to CNN, the mat turns blue after 10 minutes, to warn the drinker of potential spiking.
A London company, R&G products, has launched another device to combat drink spiking, the Spikey. The Spikey is a rubber stopper, which fits into the top of a bottle, tightly sealing the area around the straw to prevent tampering with the drink. According to the PR Newswire, Ray Lockett, a resident of London, created the device after his daughter's drink was spiked. Fortunately, Lockett's daughter's friends noticed she was behaving strangely, even though she had been drinking only juice, not alcohol, and they took her home to safety. The incident worried Lockett, and he wanted to do something to combat drink spiking.
Lockett told PR Newswire, "My son Mark told me of a spiking incident with one of his close friends and ideas started to flow. It had to be a one-use stopper unlike other reusable caps on the market, Spikey prevents a potential rapist picking up your drink, lifting the cap, spiking it and replacing it."
Tom Martin tells CNN that he hopes that his invention, the Hollow, will present an advantage over the Spikey. "The Hollow is good for wine drinkers. Lots of women drink wine and they are the main targets of having their drinks spiked."
Drink Safe Technologies has marketed another product, the Drink Spike Detector to detect the presence of "date rape" drugs (GHB, Ketamine, scopolamine and Zopiclone) in drinks. The Drink Spike Detector is a card, about the size of a credit card, with two tests. After placing a few drops of the drink, the two testing areas of the card will react, changing color to indicate the presence of any of these drugs in the drink.
The development of these technologies is a concerted response to the growing problem of drug-induced rape. People, often women, find themselves the victims of rape after inadvertently consuming drinks spiked with Rohypnol and GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate), which are both colorless and odorless, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
The NIDA indicates that Rohypnol incapacitates victims, rendering them unable to resist assault. Rohypnol is illegal. When mixed with alcohol and other drugs, Rohypnol can be lethal. It also causes anterograde amnesia, so the victim does not remember events while under the influence of the drug, according to NIDA.
The other drug, GHB, is a depressant of the nervous system and has been abused for its euphoric and sedative effects. The NIDA also states that GHB may cause comas, seizures, nausea, or breathing problems, especially when combined with other drugs. Ketamine, Scopolamine and Zopiclone, and alcohol are also commonly used to spike both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Many clubs in the UK are handing out free Spikeys and other devices to combat the problem of drink spiking. Tom Martin hopes that his glass, the Hollow will become commercially available. Until then, Reach Out! offers the following guidelines to avoid drink spiking:
- Don't accept drinks from strangers or leave drinks unattended. If someone offers you a drink, go to the bar with them.
- Buy your own drinks and know what you are drinking.
- Don't drink something you did not open, or see opened or poured.
- If you're unsure about your drink, do not drink it and leave it.
- If you feel dizzy or sick, ask someone you trust to take you to a safe place. If you are alone or can't find your friends tell the bar staff.
- Keep an eye on your friends. If someone collapses and is unconscious, call an ambulance immediately84but do not leave them alone.
- If you're on a date with someone you don't know arrange for a friend to call you during the evening and pick you up. Meet in a public space. Arrange your own transportation.
