TORONTO – With one swirl of a finger, you might be able to tell if your drink has been spiked thanks to a nail polish prototype that changes colours when it comes in contact with date-rape drugs.
Four materials science and engineering students at North Carolina State University have developed the nail polish in hopes it will help prevent sex assaults.
According the students’ Facebook page “Undercover Colors” can detect common date-rape drugs such as Rohypnol, Xanax, and GHB, which often go unnoticed because they are odourless and tasteless.
“With our nail polish, any woman will be empowered to discreetly ensure her safety by simply stirring her drink with her finger,” reads a Facebook post. “If her nail polish changes colour, she’ll know that something is wrong.”
Sounds like a good idea in theory, however, experts warn the nail polish only detects some of the frequently used date-rape drugs.
“Every day they are changing the chemical formula that labs are having a hard time keeping up with the chemical makeup of these things so a nail polish couldn’t possible cover everything out there,” Ginesse Barrettat, LSU Hospital program coordinator, told WWL TV News.
The nail polish is still in its prototype stages and the students are reportedly looking for investors.