At an electronic music festival in Spain, it was possible to test whether a “date rape” drug had been put into a visitor’s drink. The goal of the project is to prevent sexual crime.
20:29•Updated 20:33
Last weekend in Spain, you could go and test your drink for knockout drops. The Medusa Sunbeach festival had set up tents in its area where social workers did tests for free.
A sample was taken from the drink with a pipette and placed in a test tube. The liquid turned bright red if it contained GHB, i.e. knock-out drops. The substance in question is colorless and odorless. It is known as a so-called “date rape” drug, which has a depressing effect on the central nervous system.
The electronic music festival was one of the first to use the test, reported the Spanish media Rtve and Eph.
The goal of the tents is to prevent sexual harassment and gender-based violence. This is what the social worker of the women’s network of the Valencia region says Rosana Galvez news agency Reuters.
– If the test is positive, we call the emergency number so they can do a more reliable test. We report a positive result to the police, which starts the legal process and ensures that the violence is reported.
In Spain, tents are used for events such as fairs and concerts. The matter has been promoted by the Spanish Ministry of Equality in cooperation with local administrations.
In Finland, Helsingin Sanomat previously reported on the topic.
Source: Reuters