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Jewelry Detects Drink Spiking, Sends Live Location
29 Jul
Summary
- Jewelry sensors detect benzodiazepines linked to drink spiking.
- Alerts are sent via an app with live location data.
- The technology aims to prevent drink spiking incidents.
A new line of sensor-equipped jewelry is being developed to combat drink spiking. The brand, Elora Armor, co-founded by USF graduate Addison Bounds, plans to offer bracelets, pendants, and keychains designed to detect dangerous substances like benzodiazepines, which are often used in drink spiking.
When a small sample of a drink is placed on the jewelry's electromagnetic sensor, it analyzes the liquid. If tampering is detected, an alert is sent to a connected smartphone app. Crucially, if a drink is confirmed as spiked, the app automatically transmits the wearer's live location to their pre-selected safety contacts.
Bounds, who plans to launch the bracelets in January 2028, was inspired by a personal experience where a friend was drugged and assaulted. While statistics on drink spiking in the U.S. are limited, a 2017 study indicated that 7.8% of university students had been drugged without their knowledge. Experts advise various prevention strategies, including never leaving drinks unattended and using drink covers.
