A Student Has Developed A Test That Shows If Your Drink Has Been Spiked
A Student Has Developed A Test That Shows If Your Drink Has Been Spiked

A Student Has Developed An App That Shows If Your Drink Has Been Spiked

With the rise in spiking an ever-prevalent issue, a student has developed a clever app that can tell if your drink has been spiked.

Unfortunately, spiking is an ongoing issue that those going to bars and clubs need to be aware of. YouGov data shows that one in nine women have been a victim of drink spiking and a third of women overall have either been spiked themselves or know someone who has.

It’s worth noting that spiking doesn’t just happen to those who drink alcohol, or in public bars or clubs, as it’s all too easy for someone to slip something into your drink if you’re at their house, or if you turn away from your drink whilst you’re out.

However, a student at the University of the West of England has been working on developing a new easy test that can detect when spiking drugs have been put into drinks.

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While there are several precautions that you can take to be safe while out, such as not leaving your drinks unattended, not accepting any drinks that you haven’t bought yourself or that you didn’t see being made and using cup covers to prevent spiking, this simple and clever test is going to be a gamechanger.

Anselmo Procida, a forensic science student, has developed an app that can check if your drink has been spiked. All you need to do is take a photo of your drink using an app on your phone, which will then check for the inclusion of the drug GHB by analysing the colour of your drink.

In case you don’t know — GHB is one of the most commonly used drugs in the UK to spike drinks, which can cause drowsiness, unconsciousness and impaired speech and movement to those who ingest it.

The app that Anselmo has developed will analyse your drink, and if a particular concentration of purple is present this indicates that your drink is likely to contain GHB.

If released, the app would be free to download in the hope that it will be used by the police and in hospitals to help with cases of spiking, as well as those on nights out who are unsure if their drink is safe or not. Anselmo developed the idea as part of his final year project and it’s sure to be a huge game changer if rolled out.

While the app is still undergoing development and not available yet, there are several proactive measures you can take while you’re out and about to help curb the rise of spiking. Don’t forget to check out how to tell if your drink has been spiked, to help you be more aware of the symptoms of spiking and how to help a friend who you suspect has been spiked.