In 90% of sexual assault cases that occur on college campuses, alcohol is involved and, sometimes, more than just alcohol. Since they gained notoriety in the '90s, date rape drugs have been a source of anxiety for parents and students alike as their tasteless, odorless character makes them undetectable in drinks.
DrinkSavvy is trying to combat them: After a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo provided the company with $50,000, it is preparing to ship its first batch of drug-detecting plastic cups and straws. The products are sensitive to the most commonly-used date rape drugs -- GHB, Rohypnol and Ketamine -- and turn red in response to their presence.
Michael Abramson, the founder of DrinkSavvy, is a former engineering student whose investment in the issue of sexual assault is personal.
“Why do I care so much? Over the past three years, three close friends and myself have been unwittingly exposed to these drugs," he says. "With over one million cases, someone close to you could come in contact with date rape drugs.”
Abramson hopes that rape crisis centers and college campuses will include DrinkSavvy products in future programs about rape awareness and prevention.