Drug-Detecting Drinkware Makes for Safer Sips at the Club

We all know the rules for a night out: don’t accept an opened drink, watch your drink at all times, and don’t drink from a communal source like a punch bowl. These guidelines are meant to keep drinkers safe from the effects of “date rape drugs.” But drug-assisted rapes are a sad reality that just don’t seem to be going away, even with increased education.

To keep people safe from the effects of the three most common date rape drugs (GHB, Ketamine and Rohypnol), a Boston-based startup is developing a line of drinkware that changes colors when those drugs are present. It’s called DrinkSavvy, and it’s quite simple in theory: the products include a material that immediately creates a visual warning when a drink has been tampered with.

For now, the DrinkSavvy line of products includes straws, plastic cups and drink stirrers. But the team envisions the line eventually including reusable glasses and even bottles. They hope to eventually have their wares in bars around the world to make nights out just a little safer.

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See more in Industrial Design or under Technology. December, 2012.