Providence College Student Invents ‘SmartSip’ Straw to Combat Date Rape Drugs

A Providence College student has come up with an innovative safety straw that detects the presence of date rape drugs.

Providence sophomore Neve Palmeri said she saw a gap in the market that needed 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,” Palmeri said in an interview with ABC6 Providence.

The SmartSip straw changes colors when it detects the presence of three date rape drugs in drinks. “[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,” said Palmeri.

Palmeri first developed the idea for her design in a management class. She then accelerated her idea by competing in an entrepreneurial pitch competition at Providence and advancing to the Big East Startup Challenge. Palmeri won the challenge, earning her some funds to help with her 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,” she told ABC6 News.