However, they have many issues associated with their use. Testing kits can be a helpful way to help someone discern if their drinks have been spiked. In the future, we fully intend on incorporating other classes of drugs into the SipChip.” SipChip has achieved over 99% in the more than 12,000 devices tested. Barbara Cook, the CEO, claimed that “The SipChip will detect drugs at levels at, or below, the dose a person would feel any physiological effects. If two lines appear, the drink is likely free of these drugs. If after dropping one drop of liquid on the test, one line appears, your drink has been spiked. This is a small, coin-sized disk that tests for Flunitrazepam (“Roofies”), Alprazolam (Xanax), Diazepam (Valium), Midazolam (Versed), Oxazepam (Serax) and Temazepam (Restoril), six common spiking drugs. However, after using up $1.8 million dollars attempting to further the idea, they changed tack and developed the SipChip. The students formed the company ‘Undercover Colours’ to develop the product further, and began to attract investment. A group of four engineering students from North Carolina State University had indeed come up with this idea, and it began to undergo laboratory testing in 2014. In 2016, a post went viral that suggested a nail varnish had been developed by a group of students that changed colour when dipped in a drink that contained some drugs commonly used in spiking. You can take a urine sample and tell exactly what is in that.” Myth buster: Nail Varnish testers He said, “Our medics actually bought kits last week … it’s a little like a pregnancy kit, if I’m being honest. Sacha Lord has recently announced that his club ‘The Warehouse Project’ will begin to offer on-site urine tests to anyone that believes they have been spiked. They may also soon be used by nightclubs across Manchester and the UK. It is worth noting this is unlikely to be useful in preventing spiking, but you can often access this form of testing for free if you choose to raise your case with the police. These ‘testing cassettes’ detect the presence of certain drugs in someone’s urine. Some have begun being given out or are available to purchase in British nightclubs. ‘Xantus’ claims their wristbands also act as a deterrent for potential perpetrators. If two minutes after dabbing some of your drink on a patch, it turns blue, the drink probably contains GHB. These wristbands only test for GHB, and contain two testing patches per wristband. An example is the wristbands made by German company ‘Xantus’, who ship to the UK (though this incurs high shipping costs). Testing wristbands are similar to testing strips, but come in the form of the wristband, which could help solve the problem of testing kits being another thing to carry around on a night out. The user drops a small amount of liquid using their finger, a stirrer, or straw on the testing patch, which turn either red or blue if drugs are present. These detect minimal standard doses of ketamine and GHB. ‘ Check Your Drink’ is one example of a British company that sells small test strips. There are many different types available, but this attempt to summarise the different styles of kits on the market may help those seeking to purchase one. With cases of spiking on the rise, many people are turning to the internet in the hope of buying testing kits to make them feel safe. It might contain some content that readers may be uncomfortable with. Perhaps one solution would be to convince more scientists to stand for election.Content warning: This article was included in our ‘Spiking Awareness’ print issue. The number of MPs who have a scientific background is painfully small. If we interrogate potential MPs about their stance on major scientific issues at the next election, we will perhaps have a chance to change things for the better. It is possible to get involved through consultations, but knowing where to look for those opportunities is not always obvious. We have a better chance if policy is rooted in good scientific evidence, and if those who debate policies have an understanding of how science works. The current UK government has thrown the proverbial hat into the ring - emphasising the benefits of a science-literate graduate workforce by providing additional university places for science, maths, technology and engineering students, but what of future governments? How can we, as scientists, use our votes to ensure a better future for our profession and better benefits for and from our research? Science funding, science-based policy and science education take up a substantial part of a country’s budget, so why are they not more widely discussed at election time? Science should be an important electoral issue.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |