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This Date Rape Detector Is A Dubious Invention

The Drink-Savvy date rape drug detector could be your greatest companion at your next party or outing. This Boston-based company intends to create a line of utensils including cups, glassware, stirrers, and straws which can detect anything amiss in your bubbly and promptly change color as a warning. We say “could” because the company still needs to raise the funds to launch their product.

Founded by Mike Abramson, the idea for the cup arose when he became aware that some of his own friends had been abused, and that, even as a guy, he had experienced some uncomfortable and potentially unsafe situations when under the influence. “Within the past three years, three of my very close friends and myself have been the unwitting victims of being drugged,” he said in the fundraising video he made for the cup.

Drink-Savvy is certainly commendable in its effort, and it could be a product that a large group of consumers would consider using, but there are some potential wrinkles: Is it efficient? How do you get people to agree to BYOC (Bring Your Own Cup) to every party or bar they go to? Since the cup can’t have a logo or be otherwise noticeable, how will they advertise? Will it be cheap enough for bars to consider purchasing them in large quantities?

And more to the point, are they too late? After all, just last year Israeli scientists announced the development of a sensor that looks like a straw or a stirrer that can detect two of the most commonly used date rape drugs with 100 percent accuracy. We’ll have to see if Abramson can muster up enough interest to get his product off the ground.

TAGS: date rape detector

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