Some studnets believe that drinking mixed drinks out of a straw gets an individual drunk faster than without a straw, making it a popular pre-gaming strategy.
A new straw has been invented that may protect a person from the potential effects of his or her drink.
Three business students attending Heriot-Watt University in Scotland conducted a study in which nearly a third of British students believe that they have been victims of having their drinks spiked with the common date-rape drug Rohypnol, better known as “Roofies.”
In response to their findings, these students developed an idea for creating a drinking straw that will change color under ultraviolet rays if the user’s drink contains date-rape drugs such as Roofies, GHB or Ketamine.
The proposal won the students a Scottish regional business contest and nearly $2,000, which they plan on putting towards the development of a company that will manufacture the product.
If all goes according to plan, the straw will be on the market about six months from now.
A similar product has been on the market for about five years. This product works in the form of coasters that detect date-rape drugs, changing color when a drop or two of a drugged drink are placed on them.
The price and locations at which the new straw product will be sold are not definite at this point.
Since many of us are regularly digging deep into our pockets in order to treat ourselves to a cheap handle of Popov, Bukov, or any other rubbing alcohol equivalent, it is difficult to picture anyone splurging on a drink accessory such as a straw if it is costly.
However, taking a look at numbers other than prices might sway students to splurge.
According to a Brown University study, one out of ten college women have been raped in their lifetime. Although women are more likely to be victims of sexual assault, 10 percent of all cases involve male victims. Also, 90 percent of on-campus assaults involve alcohol use by at least one party.
Those who think that could never happen to them may be shocked to learn that nine out of 10 women raped in college know their offenders.
Given these facts, the product seems like a very worthwhile investment, and given that it is a plastic straw, one would think it would be fairly affordable to manufacture and sell.
“We’ve had very good feedback in general, but especially from students,” Julian Fietzek, one of the three students involved in the straw idea, told The Chronicle of Higher Education.
I also think that in theory students at Fairfield as well as students at other schools would welcome the product and benefit from it.
Hopefully none of us will ever be in a situation where it is actually needed, but you can never be too careful.
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