© Julie Thilges
Four students have taken the initiative to create a wristband equipped with a test to detect the presence of GHB, more commonly known as the 'date-rape drug'.
Officially, Luxembourg has recorded 25 victims of GHB over the last four years. These official figures are very probably much lower than the reality on the ground. GHB is a substance that can only be detected a few hours after ingestion. Since it most often causes unconsciousness, it is rare for the authorities to be able to confirm the use of 'knockout drops' in time.
Four students were keen to solve this problem. Luisa Jazzar, Alicia Hamadou, Eléonore Pereira, and Félicie Hanon are all students at the Business and Management School of Luxembourg (Ecole de Commerce et de Gestion) and decided to take matters into their own hands. Together, they have created a bracelet called Elegantly Safe that can carry a test to detect the presence of GHB in alcoholic beverages.
The test is supplied by the company Check Your Drink. It consists of a strip that changes colour when a drink has been tampered with. All you have to do is dip your finger in your drink and then place the liquid on the strip in question. Their effectiveness has been tested in the laboratory.
However, the four students point out that red wine does not lend itself well to this test and that drinks containing milk will always show a positive result (Baileys, for example).
Importantly, bracelets designed for this purpose already exist on the market, but they are often paper bracelets. Elegantly Safe, as its name suggests, is intended to offer a more elegant and safer alternative. It is designed to hold up to five tests and to protect them from moisture throughout the evening. For the moment, the bracelet is still at the conceptual stage. The four entrepreneurs are currently facing a number of problems in developing their project.
Hamadou explains that their biggest problem is finding suppliers, as they are either unable to create such a complex model or they are faced with high production costs in Europe. These are problems they hope to resolve in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, the students remain very active on social networks to capture the attention of young people and potential investors.
Tips from the police
To avoid falling victim to knockout drops, the Grand Ducal police are sharing a number of tips. It is also asking potential victims not to wait to contact the authorities – this is because GHB is a substance that can only be detected within a few hours.
- Always order and collect drinks yourself
- Do not accept open drinks from other people
- Never leave drinks unattended
- In general, always be attentive
- Also watch out for your friends and companions
- Exercise extreme caution if any of these people suddenly feel unwell and strangers want to escort them from the premises.
- Help and intervene if friends behave unusually (nausea, dizziness and sudden tiredness).
