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Spanish music festival introduces tents to test if drinks spiked
A major festival in Spain has become the first to offer drinks-testing kits for revellers to check whether their drinks have been tampered with.
The Medusa Sunbeach Festival, which took place from 7-12 August, took a big step towards ensuring the safety of its 56,000 guests by installing on-site tents in which visitors could have their drinks tested for GHB (otherwise known as the ‘date rape’ drug).
Called ‘violet points’, the tents are part of a wider initiative spearheaded by the Spanish Equality Ministry in a bid to cut down on sexual assaults. The testing facilities are also expected to be rolled out across other public gatherings in Spain including fairs and concerts.
Festival goers at the event were able to stop by one of the designated tents if they had concerns that their drink had been spiked. Using a pipette, a sample of each drink was taken and added to a test tube containing a chemical reagent. If the sample contained GHB, the liquid in the test tube will turn bright red and festival staff were trained to alert the emergency services whenever a positive reaction showed.
One festival attendee named only as Raquel told Reuters that it was reassuring to “have a place where, if something happens to you, you know that you can go for help or advice”.
Research conducted by rum brand Malibu last year identified that 73% people don’t know what to do in a spiking situation, and 70% of victims felt vulnerable on nights out. In response to the survey’s findings Malibu teamed up with anti-spiking charity Stamp Out Spiking to train 2,000 festival, bar, club, convenience staff and consumers on what to do in a spiking situation.
GHB is a clear and odourless substance that depresses the central nervous system, and can cause side effects include drowsiness, vomiting, unconsciousness and respiratory collapse leading to coma or in extreme cases death. It can be added to drinks in liquid or powder form and according to UK drug support agency Talk to Frank it can take from 10 minutes to an hour for GHB to take effect, meaning you may not suspect right away if your drink has been spiked, especially if you have also been consuming alcohol.
As well as GHB-testing facilities, other ‘violet’ spaces have been installed in transport hubs across Spain, as well as in the Employment & Benefits Offices in Madrid. These are places where women and vulnerable groups can seek help and support if they experience harassment or abuse in public.
Medusa Sunbeach Festival takes place annually in Valencia and features a world-class lineup of electronic, house, and techno. Artists taking to the stage at this year’s festival included DJ Snake, Afrojack and Vintage Culture. This year marked the 10th anniversary of the popular festival.
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