This Nail Polish Could Help Curb Sexual Assault

Related Articles

American Airlines Employee Harasses Passenger: promises upgrades, lounge passes, in exchange for “friendship”

January 14, 2020

Man Questioned by the Secret Service for MSing through Money Orders

October 29, 2019

E-Sports Champion Loses Title and Prize Winnings After Supporting Hong Kong; Interviewers fired for letting him express support

October 8, 2019

Recently, I wrote a post on the clever way bars in the UK are battling sexual assault.  Signs in the bathroom instruct women to casually ask the waitstaff for Angela as a sign that they are in an uncomfortable situation.  The staff will help them out of it in a low-key manner.

There’s another product on the market that could help with sexual assault–a special nail polish that changes colors when it touches a spiked drink.  Though, it is getting a mixed reception.

From WUSA 9:

Undercover Colors says women can use their fingers to stir a cocktail, and the polish changes color if it’s been spiked with popular date-rape drugs like Rohypnol, Xanax, and GHB…

…“I would rather know someone’s intentions, so if I could to dip my nail into it, and know if I’m safe or not, that would be rad,†says Chae Drake.

This product gives women some control over their situations.  Whenever I’ve had a guy I met recently buy me a drink, I’ve awkwardly insisted I walk to the bar with him. That way, the drink goes directly into my hand.  But that’s awkward and sends a weird signal to the (probably well-intentioned) guy.  But you can’t risk the chance.

This allows someone to casually dip their finger in the drink to see if it changes color–just in case.

They already make cards women can use to test their drinks, but they are pretty conspicuous.  There are also coasters, but you have to depend on the bar carrying these (and educating the women drinking there about them).  So the nail polish is a definite improvement.

But some critics worry this nail polish will give women a sense of false security.  It doesn’t detect every drug they could be slipped, so the critics think women may end up being less careful when they think they are covered.

I still think it’s better than nothing.  This nail polish won’t be created until next year, but perhaps they should consider a warning label emphasizing that it does not check for every drug.