Researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a tool to help people determine if their drinks have been spiked.
Spikeless, which looks like an ordinary stir stick, is capable of detecting common drink spiking drugs like GHB and ketamine within 30 seconds, potentially preventing assaults.
GHB, or gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, and ketamine are tasteless and odourless, so detecting them is nearly impossible.
“Anywhere there’s a bar — clubs, parties, festivals — there’s a risk,” said Samin Yousefi, a UBC master’s student in chemical and biological engineering and the device’s co-inventor.
Spikeless has a chemical-coated bioplastic tip that changes colour when it detects drugs in any drink — alcoholic or non-alcoholic.
The UBC researchers hope that Spikeless will become available at venues rather than the onus being placed on individuals to provide the tool.
Over the last three years, Foster, Yousefi and their collaborators have developed the prototype at UBC and are now preparing for real-world testing while launching a startup to scale production. »
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