Students come up with invention to protect against drink spiking

Three students from a Florida high school have created a device to help women stay safe when socialising. Enter the drinking straws that test your drink for drugs.

These discreet drinking straws carry two test strips which turn navy when they determine a drink has been spiked with some of the most common date rape drugs, namely flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and Ketamine. These drugs are often tasteless and come in tablet, powder and liquid forms making it all the more difficult to recognise danger and this is where their innovative idea comes into play. The three teens came up with the idea of Smart Straws after discovering the rape statistics across US campuses. One in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Centre, it’s estimated that over 90 percent of sexual assault victims on college campuses don’t report the assault.

About 1 in 13 college students in a new study from three U.S. campuses report having been drugged, or suspect that they were drugged.

— Smart Straws™ (@SmartStraws) May 31, 2017

In an interview with InsideEdition.com, one of the students said,

"Our impact is just to help people feel safe in their surroundings and be aware of what’s going on and just to make sure that where they are, and what they are drinking, is safe."

The girls plan to patent their innovative design and see their straws in clubs, bars and restaurants in as many areas as possible. They also plan to crowdfund to get the ball rolling and improve on the provisional Smart Straws, allowing them to test for more drugs in future. When socialising, never leave your drink unattended. If you need to go to the bathroom, bring your drink with you or accept that you’ll be buying another one when you return.