Four students from North Carolina State University created a new nail polish that functions as more than a fashion choice — it detects date rape drugs in drinks.
North Carolina alumni Ankesh Madan and Tasso Von Windheim, and undergraduate students Tyler Confrey-Maloney and Stephen Gray developed the Undercover Colors to help empower women to protect themselves from sexual assault, according to the company’s Facebook page.
Ankesh Madan, Tasso Von Windheim, Tyler Confrey-Maloney and Stephen Gray pose for a photo.The four North Carolina State University students developed Undercover Colors to help protect themselves from sexual assault, according to the company.
The nail polish allows wearers to test their drinks for common date rape drugs, such as Rohypnol, Xanax, and GHB. If the drugs are present in the drink, the nail polish will change color.
The product isn’t for sale yet and is still in the early development stages.
Confrey-Maloney, co-founder and CEO of Undercover Colors, said in a Facebook post on the company’s page that one of their main priorities was to make sure the nail polish tested for a comprehensive set of drugs before it was released.
“Through this nail polish and similar technologies, we hope to make potential perpetrators afraid to spike a woman’s drink because there’s now a risk that they can get caught,” Undercover Colors said in a Facebook post. “In effect, we want to shift the fear from the victims to the perpetrators.”
Allison Wynbissinger, Ball State victim advocate, said while she thought the nail polish is a positive idea, she has mixed feelings about it.
“It’s great that these are young men who are trying to enable and empower other people to look out for themselves and to protect themselves,” Wynbissinger said. “But on the other hand, I feel like in some ways it reinforces the myth that these sexual assaults happen by slipping an actual drug into a drink, whereas the reality is that the number one date rape drug in and of itself is alcohol."
Wynbissinger said people need to be educated that alcohol is the drug many people use to facilitate rape, and students shouldn’t rely solely on the nail polish to keep them safe.
About two-thirds of sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, and 38 percent of rapists are a friend or acquaintance.
“Rape prevention 101 comes down to a potential rapist,” Wynbissinger said. “The only person who can stop a rape from happening is the person who is going to do it."
A common complaint about the nail polish is that by putting the sole responsibility to prevent the rape on women, it is victim blaming.
"It's not our job to prevent our own assault or to prevent ourselves from becoming a victim," Wynbissinger said.
Lisa Pellerin, director of Ball State's women's and gender studies program, said by using this nail polish, it could make people who use date rape drugs in a drink feel less safe doing it. By making products like Undercover Colors, it acknowledges that there are people who deliberately intend to commit rape by incapacitating people.
“It’s sad that that kind of thing does appear to be necessary, but certainly anything that gives people an opportunity to be more aware of their surroundings and that prevents people from drugging you without your knowledge is a good thing," Pellerin said.
Sophomore exercise science major Parker Gagliano said she thought the nail polish was a good idea.
"Most women wouldn't willingly put themselves in the position [to be drugged], and if you could prevent that and if you knew who did it, then that person could be held accountable," Gagliano said. "And there are so many people that don't get held accountable when they do things like this."
She said it could possibly lower the number of date rapes that happen.
"If you're wearing the nail polish, you know you're putting yourself in a potentially dangerous situation," Gagliano said. "It could help you stay safer."
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