Serving someone a "Mickey" is most commonly referred to as "slipping someone a mickey". In slang, a Mickey Finn (or simply a Mickey) is a drink laced with a psychoactive drug or incapacitating agent (especially chloral hydrate) given to someone without their knowledge, with intent to incapacitate them. This study defined a "plausible drink spiking case" in such a way that cases where (a) patients believed that their drink had been spiked, and (b) lab tests showed agents that patients said they had not ingested would still be ruled out as plausible if the patient did not also (c) exhibit "signs and symptoms" that were considered "consistent with agents detected by laboratory screening." Documented routes of administration Oral A 2009 Australian study found that of 97 instances of patients admitted to hospital believing their drinks might have been spiked, illicit drugs were detected in 28% of samples, and nine cases were identified as "plausible drink spiking cases". In 65% of the 1,014 cases included in this study, testing could not be conducted within a time frame that would allow detection of GHB. The samples used in these studies could only be verified as having been submitted within a 72-hour time frame or a 48-hour time frame.Ī three-year study in the UK detected sedatives or disinhibiting drugs that victims said they had not voluntarily taken in the urine of two percent of suspected drug-facilitated sexual assault victims. Ī similar study of 2,003 urine samples of victims of suspected drug-facilitated sexual assaults found less than 2% tested positive for Rohypnol or GHB. Ī 1999 study of 1,179 urine specimens from victims of suspected drug-facilitated sexual assaults in 49 American states found six (0.5%) positive for Rohypnol, 97 (8%) positive for other benzodiazepines, 48 (4.1%) positive for GHB, 451 (38%) positive for alcohol and 468 (40%) negative for any of the drugs searched for. No comprehensive data exists on the frequency of drug-facilitated sexual assaults involving the use of surreptitious drug administration, due to the report rate of assaults and because rape victims who do report are often either never tested for these drugs, are tested for the wrong ones, or the tests are administered after the drug has been metabolized and left their body. One of the most common incapacitating agents for date rape is alcohol, administered either surreptitiously or consumed voluntarily, rendering the victim unable to make informed decisions or give consent. The substances are not exclusively used to perpetrate sexual assault or rape, but are the properties or side-effects of substances normally used for legitimate medical purposes. However, substances have also been exploited during retreats, for example ayahuasca retreats. The substances are associated with date rape because of reported incidents of their use in the context of two people dating, during which the victim is sexually assaulted or raped or suffers other harm. If the polish changes color, wearers can take it as an indication of a spike and can remove themselves from the situation.Īlthough it's unsure when the product will be hitting the shelves, Undercover Colors has already appeared as a finalist at the Kairos 50 startup competition and won funding from the NC State Entrepreneurship Initiative.See also: Drug-facilitated sexual assault RapeĪ date rape drug is any drug that incapacitates another person and renders that person vulnerable to sexual assault, including rape. Although the product is still in the development phase, the team say that users will need to place their finger into the drink for the polish to work, although this is a maneuver that could be accomplished discreetly. Instead of requiring women to carry around an extra tool, the team is working on a nail polish that reacts to the presence of roofies. The problem comes from the fact that date rape detection is still an under-developed technology and is difficult to implement without arousing the suspicions of the potential assailant. Now Undercover Colors is a startup that's aiming to develop a nail polish that changes color when it comes into contact with known date rape drugs.ĭeveloped by a group of male North Carolina State University chemistry students, the idea was prompted by the fact that each member of the team knew a friend who had been assaulted after having their drinks spiked. Innovations such as pd.id - the personal drug detection kit - have already aimed to arm women with the ability to detect date rape substances in their drinks. Online dating has made it easier for complete strangers with shared interests to find each other, but a lack of quality control can mean the services are unfortunately used by criminals, facilitating date rapes.
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