When Isabelle went to a party with her friends on the Isle of Man two years ago, she never imagined she would be unsafe.
Aged 15 at the time, she recalled how her drink spiked when she gave it to someone there.
“When I returned it, obviously something had been put on it,” she said.
Isabelle and her friends have taken steps to try to prevent the same thing from happening to others.
‘Sudden blackout’
Recalling what happened to her, Isabelle said: “Thank God I had a lot of friends who looked after me, but if I hadn’t it could have ended really badly.”
Her classmate Daisy said she went through a similar ordeal.
“You’re at a party — you’re laughing. You’re with your friends. You think you’re going to be safe,” he added, “and then all of a sudden it’s just a blackout.”
For both girls, the experience left a lasting impression.
They were amazed at how easily this could happen, and how little was said about it.
This prompted them to do something about it.
Along with four other students from Ballarameen High School, they took part in a business challenge run by the Junior Achievement charity.
Team Valoris created the PureSip – a biodegradable drinking straw with a built-in test strip that changes color when commonly used spiking drugs are detected.
Daisy wanted more people to be aware of drink spiking after her experience [BBC]
‘growing problem’
Daisy said that much of their marketing was about “bringing awareness to the issue rather than selling a product”, adding that “it’s not talked about enough”.
He pointed to UK figures showing 1.2 million adults reported their drinking had spiked in the past year.
PC Louise Kennagh, part of the Isle of Man Constabulary’s schools education team, said: “I think it’s fantastic – they’ve chosen something that can potentially do some good to our community.”
He added that “anything that can help people – protect them, protect them – can only be a good thing.”
She explained that cases are often difficult to prove because investigations rely heavily on medical evidence.
Keanu said the straw could act as an early indicator, helping people make quick decisions about their safety.
‘The thought struck me’
Making the drinking straw idea a reality posed a huge challenge for the Valoris team, which needed to find the right technology to test spiking drugs.
Johan, 17, said they first considered litmus paper but “normally the drugs used for spiking have the same pH as the drink, so it was ruled out”.
Success came late at night.
“I had one thing in the morning where this idea hit me,” he explained.
The final product includes a turn-away section that exposes the test material inside the straw.
After tearing, if the drink is spiked, it turns dark orange.
The design came to Johan in a late night “lightbulb” moment [BBC]
They also emphasized that drinking spiking was not limited to alcohol or specific groups.
“It might as well be food,” Johan said, “It takes a second for someone to walk in and drop in and that’s it.”
After the competition ended, the team said they plan to continue developing their idea and sell straws at various locations.
Team Volaris hopes to roll out its straws on the Isle of Man [BBC]
Sue Cook, chief executive of Junior Achievement, said the project highlighted how young people are increasingly inspired by the social impact of their endeavours.
“When it first started it was things like selling sweets or selling T-shirts,” he explained. “The products and business ideas that are coming through the program are truly phenomenal.
“This generation thinks more socially than we do,” she said, “and I think it’s amazing.”
Read more stories from Isle of Man On the BBC, see BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer And follow BBC Isle of Man Facebook and X.
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