TEMPE, AZ — A night out should never turn into a nightmare. So, Tempe leaders want to put drink tests and other tools in bars citywide.
The city is taking feedback on a potential ordinance aimed at reducing spiking incidents and speeding up early detection and evidence collection when a drink has been tampered with.
"Bars in certain restaurants would have to have drink spike testing kits available,” Councilmember Randy Keating said. "They can sell them, so they're not expected to bear the burden of the cost. But if you want one at a bar, you suspect someone's tampered with your drink, you should be able to get one from your bartender.”
After getting drugged as an abroad student, Valley local Danya Sherman developed Knope drug detection test kits for drinks. She also founded KnoMore, a non-profit aimed at raising awareness and education surrounding drink spiking.
She said she would support the city in its effort to bring kits to bars.
"We believe that being able to know what you're consuming can help people say nope to drink spiking,” Sherman said.
KnoMore found that 11% of ASU students surveyed said they’ve experienced being drugged by a spiked drink.
"As we continued on with this initiative, so many close friends or even family have come up to me and said that they've had their drinks spiked, not once, but multiple times,” ASU student Nathan Edlebeck said. “The reason why this is so important is because when I asked, ‘Did you report it? What happened?’ Nothing happened. Nothing gets reported."
The city estimates 90% of spiking cases go unreported. Tempe police said they received 23 reports last year.
“Typically, we do see that these cases are very under-reported with our sex assaults, so in conjunction, maybe a drink spiking case as well,” Detective Jessica Ellis said. “We have a premier bar district here in Tempe, and we want to make sure that all those community members who frequent our bars are safe.”
The city is taking comments online through December 14. A public feedback meeting is scheduled for December 10 at 6 p.m. At the Tempe Public Library.
