ADVERTISEMENT One in three adult women across the EU have experienced sexual or physical assault, according to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. This includes what is known as drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA).
Faced with these alarming statistics, a team of chemists from Portugal and Spain, led by Carlos Lodeiro Espiño of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, has presented a prototype of a paper bracelet equipped with a chemical sensor.
At first glance, it looks like an ordinary festival wristband. In reality, it is a microscopic laboratory of its own, one that can detect the presence of the date rape drug Gamma-hydroxybutyrate, otherwise known as GHB, as well as other intoxicating substances, within a matter of seconds.
The invention, which could hit European festivals and clubs as early as this year, has the potential to significantly reduce the number of sexual assaults.
How does the wristband work?
The lightweight and biodegradable bracelet conceals two miniature colourimetric sensors, one of which reacts to the presence of GHB.
Simply wet a section of the band with a drop of drink. If it turns green, that indicates the presence of an unwanted substance.
The entire chemical reaction takes a few seconds and the result is visible to the naked eye.
“It’s a product designed as a personal shield. It can work for up to five days, repeatedly testing different drinks,” explains Professor Carlos Lodeiro Espiño, who led the research into the bracelet.
Why is GHB so dangerous?
GHB is colourless, odourless and metabolises quickly in the body. Just a few hours after ingestion, it can be virtually undetectable in standard tests.
Victims often lose consciousness or memory of events, making subsequent investigation difficult.
In Europe, up to a third of sexual assaults involving chemical agents take place precisely after the administration of GHB or its derivatives.
From the laboratory to the club
The project is a collaboration between researchers from Portugal and the University of Valencia in Spain. The research into the sensors took several months, building on 20 years of experience in optical detection methods.
The first batches of bracelets have already made their way to concerts, festivals and popular clubs in Spain and Portugal.
During the summer, when tourist traffic is at its highest and partying continues until dawn, the risk of drinks being spiked increases significantly.
If the project gains enough traction, its creators plan to expand distribution to more European countries.
“This armband will not solve the problem of sexual violence, but it can play an important role in its prevention,” the researchers emphasise.
Price and availability
The cost of a wristband is expected to be between €3 and €5.
Additionally, packaged versions containing multiple bracelets will bring the cost of daily protection down to less than €1.
However, the creators hope that funding will be provided by event organisers, local authorities and public institutions – as part of “safe festival” programmes.
Other tests are available
The wristbands are just one option, as there are other technological and chemical solutions that work. For instance, disposable test strips that can be dipped into a drink are on sale and indicate the presence of certain drugs.
Also popular are discreet stickers that change colour when they come into contact with a beverage.
A team of researchers in South Korea has developed a temporary tattoo, the design of which will instantly change colour from yellow to red when in contact with a “rape pill”.
Elsewhere, students in the department of materials engineering at North Carolina State University have developed a nail polish that changes colour upon contact with substances that render a person vulnerable to sexual assault.
Not just a test – a deterrent
Although the results obtained from the bracelet are not currently treated as evidence in court, the mere fact of having it can be a deterrent to potential perpetrators.
In the Valencia region, following the introduction of the wristbands, the number of reports of attempted intoxication at festivals dropped to almost zero.
Researchers are already working on a second generation of the device, which would gain formal recognition from law enforcement agencies across Europe.
