Providence College student invents straw designed to detect date rape drugs

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A Providence College student is turning fear into innovation by creating a safety straw designed to detect common date rape drugs.

“My cousin was just in Aruba and unfortunately her drink was spiked so then that’s how I came up with ‘SmartSip’,” said Providence College sophomore, Neve Palmeri.

Palmeri is turning what was a nightmare for her cousin into a practical safety measure.

“Especially being a college student, I see the gap needing to be filled. There are products out there but they don’t fit the college experience. We need something portable, discrete, and something that can fit into our everyday lives,” added Palmeri.

The idea is that the ‘SmartSip’ can detect the three most common ‘date-rape’ drugs in a drink by the straw changing color.

Palmeri started working with a chemistry professor on campus who is still working to identify the exact method of detection.

“[The straw] will be a florescent color and then if one of those three drugs [Rohypnol, GHB, or Ketamine] is dropped in your drink then it will turn clear, letting you know there is a danger in your drink,” added Palmeri.

Palmeri’s idea took off after she came up with the design in a management class for a project.

She then took her idea to the next level in a pitch competition on campus.

Palmeri went on to the Big East Startup Challenge and won, providing her some funds to help with research.

“We’re kind of focused on the chemistry and doing a feasibility test, making sure the science is backed up and validated right now,” said Palmeri.

Her plan is to then really hit the ground running and start producing and distributing the straws.