Anti-Date Rape Nail Polish Changes Colour When Drinks are Spiked

[Heather in WI]

Anti-Date Rape 'Undercover' Nail Polish Changes Colour When Drinks are Spiked with Rohypnol and GHB

 

 

Four students in the US have invented a novel way of protecting women from sexual assault on nights out - a nail polish that detects the presence of date-rape drugs.

 

A group of undergraduates in the Materials Science & Engineering department at North Carolina State University are developing a nail varnish called Undercover Colors that reacts when it comes into contact with drugs such as Rohypnol, GHB and Xanax.

 

Stephen Gray, Ankesh Madan, Tasso Von Windheim and Tyler Confrey-Maloney conceived the idea after forming a team on the university's Engineering Entrepreneurs Program. 

 

"While date-rape drugs are often used to facilitate sexual assault, very little science exists for their detection. Our goal is to invent technologies that empower women to protect themselves from this heinous and quietly pervasive crime," the students' Facebook page reads.

 

"With our nail polish, any woman will be empowered to discreetly ensure her safety by simply stirring her drink with her finger. If her nail polish changes colour, she'll know that something is wrong."

 

I thought this was an amazing new invention! In light of recent conversations regarding sexual assault on college campuses, I thought others might be interested, too.

[kiana]

I saw this floating around facebook a bit back and thought it was awesome. One of the very few things that might convince me to put on nail polish.

[Gil]

Thats cool!

[regentrude]

Awesome.

And very sad that it is necessary.

 

[Caroline]

A great idea. Too bad we need it. 

[SemiSweet]

Awesome.

And very sad that it is necessary.

Completely agree.

[Arcadia]

I would still be worried about what it doesn't detect. Drugs for insomia are frequently on the black market and they are strong tasteless drugs.

[Mabelen]

Very smart, although I also worry like Arcadia about giving a false sense of security.

 

I would still be worried about what it doesn't detect. Drugs for insomia are frequently on the black market and they are strong tasteless drugs.

[raptor_dad]

Roofies and GHB are sensationalistic but I would suspect a very small fraction of date rape cases(I have no idea what the actual percentages look like).

 

It seems more likely most date rape cases involve good old fashioned drugs like alcohol. Either the perpetrator is judgement impaired or the victim is judgement impaired or unconscious or both.

 

Hi-tech nail polish could be a great protection against the rare sociopath... but common sense and education for both sexes seems like a higher yield approach.

 

PS. Despite my reservations... I really love the techie, geeky approach to solving the drug detection issue... SuperCool. It is certainly worthwhile, just not a "solution" to date rape.

[Lolly]

Roofies and GHB are sensationalistic but I would suspect a very small fraction of date rape cases(I have no idea what the actual percentages look like).

 

It seems more likely most date rape cases involve good old fashioned drugs like alcohol. Either the perpetrator is judgement impaired or the victim is judgement impaired or unconscious or both.

 

Hi-tech nail polish could be a great protection against the rare sociopath... but common sense and education for both sexes seems like a higher yield approach.

 

PS. Despite my reservations... I really love the techie, geeky approach to solving the drug detection issue... SuperCool. It is certainly worthwhile, just not a "solution" to date rape.

 

While it may be a small fraction, it is one that has very little that a girl can do to protect herself from. Alcohol, don't drink to much. Don't allow yourself to be alone with a guy (especially one you don't know well. Take a self defense class. These drugs, girls have very little, to no defense against apart from trying to make sure they only drink out of a bottle that they have seen opened and keep a really close eye on. I do think they are more prevalent than you think they are, but still small on the percentage of rape cases. This at least gives some measure that a girl can take to defend herself against them.

 

 Edited to add: Did a little Google. Date rape drugs are used in anywhere from 4-35%. Such a large discrepancy because there is no accurate way to tell if they were sneaked in or taken willingly. The true number is most likely somewhere in middle there. So, maybe around 20%? Higher than I would have thought.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

While it may be a small fraction, it is one that has very little that a girl can do to protect herself from. Alcohol, don't drink to much. Don't allow yourself to be alone with a guy (especially one you don't know well. Take a self defense class. These drugs, girls have very little, to no defense against apart from trying to make sure they only drink out of a bottle that they have seen opened and keep a really close eye on. I do think they are more prevalent than you think they are, but still small on the percentage of rape cases. This at least gives some measure that a girl can take to defend herself against them.

 

 Edited to add: Did a little Google. Date rape drugs are used in anywhere from 4-35%. Such a large discrepancy because there is no accurate way to tell if they were sneaked in or taken willingly. The true number is most likely somewhere in middle there. So, maybe around 20%? Higher than I would have thought.

 

On the reporting %, I'd be curious if that was based on medical detection of the substance in the victim's system.  Or reports of the victim saying they thought they were drugged because they couldn't remember what had happened.

 

The later case could also be a reaction to amounts of alcohol.  I remember at least one incident of carrying a woman back to her room.  Her lack of recollection had nothing to do with outside drugs and a lot to do with the 3-4 large Alabama Slammers she'd consumed (and held down for a while). 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I can't help but wonder about the wider effect on drink spiking if this tech becomes even a little common (aren't there also stir sticks or something similar?)

 

I'm thinking of a Freakonomics discussion of the difference in car theft rates in area where anti-theft devices like The Club where used vs when vehicle tracking equipment like Lojack became popular. 

 

The Club lowered theft rates of cars with a Club installed.  But overall rates changed little.  Thieves just went to the next car without such a device installed.

 

Lojack changed overall rates because a thief didn't know if the car they were stealing would be quickly tracked and followed by the police.

 

 

I'm not sure which way something like the nail polish might go.  Or honestly if the type of guys who drug drinks would think that rationally.

 

I do think that a lot more needs to be said to both men and women about safety around alcohol.  I've seen guys who drank to much and got roughed up or robbed.  I've been the person who was drinking and had an unattended wallet emptied.  It isn't blaming the victim to teach people how to be safer.

[Lolly]

On the reporting %, I'd be curious if that was based on medical detection of the substance in the victim's system.  Or reports of the victim saying they thought they were drugged because they couldn't remember what had happened.

 

The later case could also be a reaction to amounts of alcohol.  I remember at least one incident of carrying a woman back to her room.  Her lack of recollection had nothing to do with outside drugs and a lot to do with the 3-4 large Alabama Slammers she'd consumed (and held down for a while). 

 

Medical blood testing in a hospital setting. The self reporting was strictly for whether or not they had taken drugs themselves. 35% reported that they had not. It was (somehow?) found that many did use drugs themselves at times. Whether or not they had on that night was impossible to assertain. The 4% were (again how?) found to not be recreational drug users. Hair strands were also tested. Perhaps that would show those who used drugs regularly?

[kiana]

I do think that a lot more needs to be said to both men and women about safety around alcohol.  I've seen guys who drank to much and got roughed up or robbed.  I've been the person who was drinking and had an unattended wallet emptied.  It isn't blaming the victim to teach people how to be safer.

Yes.

 

This bothers me every time I see it.

 

We can say "That guy committed a crime" and STILL say "young people of both genders need to be careful about their drinking partners, not take pre-opened drinks, etc."

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Yes.

 

This bothers me every time I see it.

 

We can say "That guy committed a crime" and STILL say "young people of both genders need to be careful about their drinking partners, not take pre-opened drinks, etc."

 

To be honest, I probably need to have more discussions about this over the next couple of years.  I don't know that it would occur to my kid to be suspicious of things like open punch bowls.  An unfortunately you are putting yourself in the hands of the most unreliable, jerky, criminal person to walk into the room in a situation like that.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Medical blood testing in a hospital setting. The self reporting was strictly for whether or not they had taken drugs themselves. 35% reported that they had not. It was (somehow?) found that many did use drugs themselves at times. Whether or not they had on that night was impossible to assertain. The 4% were (again how?) found to not be recreational drug users. Hair strands were also tested. Perhaps that would show those who used drugs regularly?

 

Could you share a link?  I'm finding descriptions of the commonly used drugs, but not use statistics.  I think I'm using the wrong terms.

[Dicentra]

Thought folks might be interested in the Snopes page on this:

http://www.snopes.com/info/news/daterapenails.asp

[raptor_dad]

OK. After seeing the issue at UW-Milwaukee where a Frat allegedly marked women and then druged them at parties[1]... Perhaps this is a better idea than I first thought... What's wrong with these people :(...

 

 

[1]http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/uw-milwaukee-fraternity-probed-over-drugs-slipped-into-party-drinks-b99354529z1-275664681.html

[Sebastian (a lady)]

OK. After seeing the issue at UW-Milwaukee where a Frat allegedly marked women and then druged them at parties[1]... Perhaps this is a better idea than I first thought... What's wrong with these people :(...

 

 

[1]http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/uw-milwaukee-fraternity-probed-over-drugs-slipped-into-party-drinks-b99354529z1-275664681.html

 

A couple of thoughts after reading the article. 

 

Even in the absence of additional drugs, drinking enough to have a BAC of .20 is not going to leave you in good condition.  This isn't sipping a glass of wine or two.  It isn't having a beer or two at a tailgate or BBQ.  It is several (4-10) drinks or one heavy cocktail, depending on the time and bodyweight of the woman.

 

The article mentions that 42 underage people were found drinking in the basement.  Only one student was arrested. [The 28 year old president of the frat who was found in possession of marijuana and Alderall in various doses, none of which he has a prescription for. - This from a second article on the incident.]  I hope there are more arrests for the underage drinking.

 

One of the women who was hospitalized was asked if it was a special ladies night.  Her response was that "Girls always get wasted there."  Yet this is where she chose to spend her evening.

 

 

It sounds like the guys at this frat are creeps.  Their behavior ought to be such that they are at best ostracized from polite society (4 years being shunned by other students would be a good start.) and should be prosecuted to the furthest extent of the law.  This isn't mistakenly handing someone a beer who is 19.  It isn't letting your kid have a glass of wine with dinner.  It isn't even buying a six pack to share with friends in the back yard.  This "party" sounds like it was a full on drink to get drunk, drink the guys into a stupor and drink the girls into oblivion bacchanal.

 

I think that there should be a major push towards both men and women that when they drink themselves into a stupor, bad things can happen.  They can be robbed, assaulted, photographed, raped and get themselves into situations where they are injured or killed.  This isn't victim shaming or blaming.  It is dealing with what are ridiculous levels of binge drinking.