New anti date-rape testers invented

Sleepy

Taken from: http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-13047676,00.html

THE DRINK DETECTIVE KIT

A pocket-sized test kit to find out if drinks have been spiked with date-rape drugs is being launched.

The matchbox-sized device is designed to detect the three types of drugs typically used in instances of date-rape.

It is hoped it will reinforce a police safety campaign and help cut an alarming increase in cases of sexual assault linked to spiked drinks.

The product, called The Drink Detective, contains three test pads for detecting either GHB, benzodiazepines such as Rohypnol and Valium, or ketamine.

Drinkers use a pipette included to apply drops of the beverage to the spots and wait for a reaction.

The test is designed to detect the minimum amount of a drug needed to incapacitate the victim, according to makers Bloomsbury Innovations.

The Roofie Foundation, Britain's only specialised agency dealing with the issues surrounding drug rape and sexual abuse, received almost 1,000 reported cases to its help-line last year.

But while date-rape is seen as a danger to women, around 15% of the reported victims are men.

"For the perpetrator, drug rape is currently an almost risk-free crime," said Stanley Grossman, a director of London-based Bloomsbury Innovations.

"Victims become partially incapacitated and often have no memory of what occurred.

"Even if they do realise what happened, all traces of the offending drug will probably have left the system before they go to the police to seek help."

The Drink Detective will sell for £3.95 in shops and vending machines and on the www.drinkdetective.com website.

Anyone else betting that the number of people claiming that their drinks were spiked when they were simply polluted with alcohol will drop off now? No, neither am I.

rymus

The matchbox-sized device is designed to detect the three types of drugs typically used in instances of date-rape.

Only three? Hardly confidence inspiring... Couldn't the date-rape drug lords just cook up a different recipe for doing the same thing?

Sleepy

As a deterrant it could be quite effective, remember the type of people that use these drugs are the most cowardly of bullys, and they're a cowardly bunch to begin with...

leeroybrown

Given how low the instances of so called date rape drugs in this country are perhaps the kit should just test the drink for the presence of alcohol and provide a warning that a person is considerably more likely to wake up with no recollection of having sex if they drink way too much!

Sleepy

Originally posted by leeroybrown
Given how low the instances of date rape drugs in this country are perhaps the kit should just test the drink for alcohol and provide a warning that a person is more likely to wake up with no recollection of having sex if they drink too much!

Kinda like the idea for a breathalyzer phone?

leeroybrown

I remember seeing a debate about this issue on one of the current affairs shows some time back. There was at least one panelist (representing womens rape groups) calling for a situation where men who had sex with women who concented while intoxicated (and changed their mind the morning after) to be prosecuted.

Perhaps a chastity belt calibrated for a specific blood alcohol level is required

People who deliberately subject someone to Rohypnol and other such drugs should be subjected to very stiff sentencing.

Deadstar

Originally posted by rymus
Only three? Hardly confidence inspiring... Couldn't the date-rape drug lords just cook up a different recipe for doing the same thing?

The drug lords always find a new, more effective drug. The D.D may cut down on the amounts of date-rapes, but not hugely. People who resort to doing such things are sad, pathetic eejits whos main concern in life is (a) if they'll get shagged, (b) if they'll get AIDS or STDs from someone they managed to shag. Sad, so very very sad...

Sleepy

Originally posted by leeroybrown
There was at least one panelist (representing womens rape groups) calling for a situation where men who had sex with women who concented while intoxicated (and changed their mind the morning after) to be prosecuted.

Assuming that when she said intoxicated she meant drunk rather than under the influence of a date-rape drug, I hope someone bitch-slapped her. This would lead to a swathe of vindictive and frivolous cases being brought against men whose only crime was to have sex with someone that was perfectly willing to sleep with them. Yet again the bleeding hearts want us to allow people to shirk the responsibility for our own actions.

En Vino Veritas. If you regret it the next morning, don't fvcking drink so much the next night you go out!

leeroybrown

When she said it the first reaction of other people present was to ask questions to clarify her point. I think they were quite surprised someone would be so overzealous about the subject.

I believe that rape/sexual assault is a very serious crime but it's an area that needs to be treated with great care as false accusations can be so seriously damaging to the other person because of the stigma involved.

Also, I'm not sure if the statistics have change but up to the middle of 2003 I'm fairly sure that despite all the publicity there wasn't a single _reported_ case of rohypnol based date rape in the republic. Whatever the figures are for date rape drugs they pale into insignificance (orders of manitude in difference) compared to alcohol related calls to crisis centres, etc.

Sleepy

To be completely honest and blunt about this, I doubt half the women I've slept with would have slept with me had they not been under the influence of alcohol. I'm not saying I got them drunk, nor am I saying I was any more sober myself. This does not, however make me a rapist and I resent the suggestion on this panelist that it would make me so.

nads

Originally posted by Deadstar
The drug lords always find a new, more effective drug.

always one step ahead.

Ah alcohol... where would most/all of my love life be without it too (consensual, just in case you're wondering too)

Ah internet anomynity...