A new test to detect drink-spiking has been launched by two London-based entrepreneurs.
Katie Burrington was inspired to develop Check Your Drink by her criminal barrister husband Richard, who came across a number of cases where both women and men had been taken advantage of after having had their drinks tampered with.
She and friend Michaela Williams, both 46, took three years to perfect the £2.50 detection kit assisted by a chemist. Check Your Drink uses a special strip to test for GHB and Ketamine, which are the two most widely used drink-spiking drugs.
The strip has two testing patches at the tip. Anyone who suspects they have been targeted dabs each patch with alcohol from their drink. The patches will turn either red or blue immediately if drugs are detected.
Around one in 10 people have had their drink spiked on a night out, according to surveys. Ms Burrington, chief executive of CYD & CYD Ltd, said: “It’s important that both women and men aren’t afraid to go out and enjoy themselves.
“I began to do some research and discovered a lot of people I knew had also been a victim. I felt there should be more protection out there and started to look for a solution to the problem.”
Recent cases include 18-year-old Jack Mcewan, who in September was left in a coma after consuming a drink in a nightclub in Dartford which had been spiked with Ketamine.
'I couldn’t see and my head was pounding'
Publishing assistant Nicola Pender had never heard of drink-spiking until she was targeted five years ago.
The 25-year-old from Croydon was on a night out with friends when she began to feel sick and her head started pounding. She said: “I’d left my drink with some friends and some men they’d just met.
“The drink was there for a few minutes, and when I returned I drank it. Shortly afterwards, I began to feel really unwell — I couldn’t see straight, I felt disorientated, my head was pounding and I felt really sick, and my skin was wet to touch. I knew it wasn’t because I was drunk — I’d only had two drinks. For months afterwards I was extremely anxious when going out. I was fortunate nothing else happened to me.
“It’s really important that people are aware of where their drink is at all times.”
