Spikeless – a safe drink test has roots in Robson Valley
By Andrea Arnold
McBride-raised brothers, Andrew and Dr. Johan Foster had a discussion about 12 years ago about the growing issue of drinks —both alcoholic as well as non-alcoholic —being tampered with. Dr. Foster, a Professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of British Columbia decided to take action using his research lab at the university.
Over the last three years, Dr. Foster, Samin Yousefi, a UBC master’s student in chemical and biological engineering and the device’s co-inventor, and their collaborators have developed the prototype at UBC and are now preparing for real-world testing while launching a startup to scale production.
Dr. Foster said that although there are other ways to test for drink tampering, some of those mean placing a colour changing device directly into a drink.
“There is a finger nail polish that will change colour if it is put into a drink that has been tampered with,” he said. “The problem is, the chemical that causes the colour change is not good for people to ingest either, so either way, tampered with or not, you shouldn’t drink the drink.”
The Spikeless stir stick combats this issue by having the indicator chemical at the end that stays out of the drink. The liquid is drawn up the stick to the indicator, resulting in a safe testing method. Dr. Foster said they are working on different versions that are effective for different lengths of time. So far they have succeeded in producing a result up to several hours after being placed in a drink.
Dr. Foster and his team would like to see the sticks become a part of every drink order at all types and sizes of venues, not just bars and clubs. He would like to see them at festivals, restaurants, and even weddings.
This problem is not just a local one, it is a global issue. His team has been in talks with the police in South Korea, and have created a press piece for New Zealand.
“One in eight college age males have admitted to spiking a drink,” said Dr. Foster. “This is a problem for a variety of sexes, and it does not always have a sexual reason. Sometimes, males will spike friends’ drinks for a “Hangover” movie type experience.
Dr. Foster said there is research that states that younger people are going out less because of the problem of not feeling safe while having a drink with friends.
He believes that by making it known that these spikeless stir sticks are used in venues, the attraction to go out for a few drinks might increase. They have received positive early feedback from hospitality professionals, many believing the product could become a staple in bars, pubs and restaurants.
“If people feel safer because a venue offers Spikeless, that’s a competitive advantage,” said Dr. Foster.
The team has created a product that is effective, and cheap to produce, but it has not been easy to figure out. Over a decade since the conversation with his brother Andrew, Dr. Foster is hopeful that there will be a variation available for use in public settings by the end of 2025.
“We have patented the technology and are in talks with companies for production,” he said. “We still have to have it approved by Health Canada as well.”
They have scaled up production and will need to run tests on thousands of sticks to make sure that the stick is effective in every kind of drink from acidic to basic, cocktails and beer.
While performing their tests, they do not use real drugs. They use a chemical that is similar to, and mimics the compounds of ketamine, Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), rohypnol and even cocaine.
Dr. Foster feels he is fortunate to have the resources to create and distribute items that can help the world. Previously he and his team created a filter that absorbs and destroys forever chemicals in water, and during covid, they created a biodegradable face mask.
He credits the support he received growing up in McBride from his parents and through school.
“I wouldn’t be able to do this without the education and motivation I got from my science teacher in McBride,” he said.
