Practicality of rape drug kit questioned
The drink-testing kit called the Drink Detective, already available in Britain, will be launched in Ireland next month.
Containing a pipette and three chemically sensitive pads, the pocket-size kit claims to detect the presence of the three most commonly used drugs: benzodiazepines, including diazepam, Rohypnol and Valium, gamma hydoxybutyrate (GHB), and ketamine.
To perform the test, the drinker uses the pipette to apply five drops of the beverage onto the pads and then observes the reaction. The test takes a couple of minutes and is designed to detect the minimum concentration of a drug that can incapacitate.
The test will cost around €6 each, or three for €16.
A spokesperson for the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland said while she welcomed any products that would protect both men and women from a potential rape, the practicality of using a pipette and three chemically sensitive pads in a busy bar or nightclub was questionable.
“There is a practicality issue about this test and it is also expensive.
“It costs e6 per test and are you supposed to test each drink? It is expensive when you add the cost of the test to the cost of your drink,” she said. She feared the test could give a false sense of security as well, pointing out that the perpetrators of this type of crime go out with intent to commit it and would find ways to do so.
The Rape Crisis Network of Ireland also pointed out using a drug to rape someone is not very common in Ireland and the majority of rapes are carried out by people who are known to the victim, whether they are family members or friends.
“We welcome any research into this area and anything that makes women feel safer going out.
“But it really is a sad reflection on society that there is a demand for a product that tests the safety of drinks,” she said.
Company director, Stanley Grossman, said that Ireland has a great and recent need for such a product as the Drink Detective since the introduction of the smoking ban.
Smokers must leave the pub to have a cigarette but are not allowed to bring their drink with them, forcing them to “leave their drinks unattended for someone to spike”, he said.
