Drink Spiking

Ahhh yes, it used to be called a "Mickey Finn", but in today's sophisticated society, we now call it "drink spiking". Dean Sunshine was enjoying a few Sunday afternoon drinks at home with friends when suddenly the gathering turned sour. Someone had spiked his drink.
Ten years on from Mr Sunshine's experience, drink-spiking is now a serious and growing problem across Australia, with 4500 people falling victim to the practice each year, of which 40per cent are then sexually assaulted, according to a recent Australian Institute of Criminology survey. ( My future employer!, ssh they don't know it yet!).
Mr Sunshine has decided to do something about it.
He has developed the Drink Safe Coaster, a hi-tech card in the shape of a coaster that can detect the presence of drugs in drinks.
Each card contains two separate litmus-type tests, which change colour when in contact with liquid spiked with drugs such as the notorious date-rape narcotic GHB (nicknamed "grievous bodily harm") and ketamine ("special K"), the two most-popular illicit drugs used in drink-spiking.
Users simply splash a little of their drink on to the test spots, and the colourless, odourless and almost tasteless drugs are immediately detectable. Previously no technology has not been able to pick this up. It should be used by those who have left their drinks unattended for a period of time.
Mr Sunshine's Drink Safe Coaster and his similar Drink Safe Detector test are the only Australian products to be selected for inclusion in an international design exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York later this month.
The SAFE: Design Takes On Risk exhibition features 300 products from around the world aimed at reducing dangers to consumers.
The Drink Safe Coasters are stocked in pharmacies and about 100 nightclubs, pubs and bars across Australia, but Mr Sunshine believes there is still a long way to go in addressing drink-spiking.
Everyone knows about it, but people still don't think it will happen to them.

till next time, Michelle.