NAIL POLISH THAT CAN DETECT ‘DATE RAPE’ DRUGS COMING SOON
Between Boomsday and the first UT football game, it’s a big weekend in East Tennessee. With the extra celebration could come an extra danger.
A recent study shows one in four college women report surviving a rape or attempted rape at some point. In 8 out of every 10 rapes — the woman is intoxicated. Date rape drugs like Rohypnol or GHB make women especially vulnerable so vulnerable they may not even realize what’s going on.
There are products students can buy to help detect date rape drugs like specially designed cups, straws and coasters. Sgt. Cedric Roach says, “Anything that can be used to detect a harmful substance could be a good idea. However there are so many different things out there you may not want to rely on one certain thing.”
Four college students from North Carolina have been making headlines for their recent invention Undercover Colors. It’s a fingernail polish that changes colors when it comes in contact with common date rape drugs like Rohypnol, Xanax and GHB. Just stick your finger in a drink to see if you’ve been drugged. Kelsey Hedrick says, “It’s a pretty good idea because you can check wihtout anybody even knowing what you’re doing.”
The nail polish is still in the development phase, but it could hit store shelves soon. The inventors received a $100,000 investment to help move “Undercover Colors” forward toward the marketing stage.
There are plenty of things people can do to protect themselves without these special products. Don’t leave your drink unattended and if someone offers to buy you a drink, go to the bar with them. Also don’t drink anything that tastes or smells strange.