While cocktail bars are intended to be places where people go to play, the unfortunate reality is they can also be where predators come to prowl. But Santa Cruz is at the forefront of making bars safer by offering patrons a new type of coaster that can quickly detect if your cocktail has been spiked.
Simply smear a few droplets of your drink on the testing area of the coaster and it can tell if ketamine or GHB, often referred to as “date rape drugs,” are present.
Karen Madura, owner of the Jury Room, Brady’s Yacht Club and Rush Inn, and newly appointed chair of the City of Santa Cruz’s Commission for the Prevention of Violence Against Women (CPVAW), initiated the rollout of these coasters in 2018 and 2019. Back then, it was mostly a grassroots effort with CPVAW’s support. She’s been a pioneer of the issue ever since.
A key part of the CPVAW’s program are “Drink Safely” posters that make bar patrons aware that the coasters are available. “Hey friends, we want everyone to feel safe,” the posters say. “We have coasters available to test your drink…ask for one if you left your drink unattended or just want peace of mind.” The posters are typically placed prominently near the bar itself, in restrooms, in windows or doorways.
Madura put together packets with the posters, a set of coasters and educational information for Santa Cruz bars. Then she “personally went out and pounded the pavement,” going door to door to meet with bar owners and staff, distribute the materials, and make patrons aware of the program.
Bobby Weaver, a bartender at Blue Lagoon, said the posters accomplish a few things all at once. “They make our customers aware of the coasters, which makes them feel safer. They also put potential predators on notice. It’s a deterrent. They know we are watching. And it protects the bar owners and staff from a business standpoint too.” It’s much like a neighborhood watch program for happy hour.
While Santa Cruz has led the way on this issue for years, last July California enacted a law that requires bars to offer the coasters for sale or at no cost and to display signs in a “prominent and conspicuous” location.
Slightly different than the posters Madura created, the now legally required signs say, “Don’t get roofied! Drink spiking drug test kits are available here. Ask a staff member for details.”
Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) authored the legislation.
“The testing kits are important because you cannot see, taste or smell drugs like ketamine and GBH and they leave the bloodstream after 24 hours,” he said. “So even after the fact, in a worst-case scenario, it can be hard to tell if you were drugged.”
But the coasters work almost immediately, offering significant safety in bars, which can be loud, highly stimulating, filled with distractions and rowdy—environments rife for slipping someone a roofie without them knowing.
As a bar and restaurant owner, and parent of three daughters, Lowenthal said he became increasingly concerned about the number of women being drugged, which leads to other crimes, including sexual assault. Like Madura, he is deeply passionate about this issue, which has struck close to home. “I have members of my staff who have been roofied, members of the legislative body that have been roofied.”
To be in compliance with the new law, bars must offer some form of drug testing device that could include test strips, stickers, straws or other devices that can detect the presence of controlled substances in drinks. These substances could include flunitrazepam, ketamine and GHB.
The new law impacts approximately 2,400 Type 48 licensees across California, issued to bars and nightclubs. The license authorizes the sale of alcohol for consumption on the premises. Minors are not allowed on the premises, and food service is not required. The new law will be enforced by ABC (Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control). License holders who do not comply could face administrative actions impacting their licenses.
“The current law was just the first step toward addressing the drink spiking crisis,” Lowenthal says. “Over the next year, I’m committed to continuing to raise awareness about this vital tool, and others, to help end roofying and look forward to exploring ways to expand their availability to help keep people safe.” A staffer in Lowenthal’s office suggested this expansion may include restaurants and music festivals.
“I’m all for legislation on this issue,” Madura says. “But we also need support to make the program as easy as possible for our small local businesses to comply. And additional state funding would certainly be welcome.”
