When Isabelle went to a party on the Isle of Man with friends two years ago, it never occurred to her that she would be unsafe.
The then 15-year-old recalled how her drink was spiked after being given to someone there.
“When I got it back, obviously something had been put in it,” she explained.
Isabelle and her friends have taken action to try to prevent the same thing from happening to others.
“Sudden power outage”
Recalling what happened to her, Isabelle said: “Thank God I was with a lot of friends who took care of me, but if I hadn’t it could have ended badly.”
Her classmate Daisy said she had gone through a similar ordeal.
“You’re at a party – you’re laughing. You’re with your friends. You think you’re going to be safe,” she said, adding: “And then all of a sudden the power goes out.”
For both girls, the experience left a lasting impression.
They were shocked at how easily it happened and how little was said about it.
This motivates them to do something about it.
They joined four other students from Ballakermeen High School in a business challenge run by charity Junior Achievement.
The Valoris team created PureSip—a biodegradable straw with a built-in test strip that changes color when commonly spiked drugs are detected.
Daisy hopes more people will realize the problem of alcoholism after going through what she has been through [BBC]
‘A growing problem’
Daisy said a lot of their marketing was about “raising awareness of the issue rather than selling products”, adding that “the issue isn’t being discussed enough”.
She pointed to British figures showing a surge in alcohol consumption among 1.2 million adults last year.
Sergeant Louise Kennaugh, a member of the Isle of Man Police Academy’s education team, said: “I think it’s fantastic – they’ve chosen something that could be of benefit to our community.”
She added, “Anything that helps people – protects them, secures them – can only be a good thing.”
She explained that cases are often difficult to prove because investigations rely heavily on medical evidence.
Kenno said the straws could serve as early indicators, helping people make faster decisions about their own safety.
“The idea hit me”
Turning the straw idea into a reality was a huge challenge for the Valoris team, who needed to find the right technology to test spiked drugs.
John, 17, said they first considered using litmus paper, but “usually the pH of the medicines used to add it is the same as the pH of the drink, so that was ruled out”.
The breakthrough happened late at night.
“The idea came to me at one in the morning,” he explains.
The final product includes a tear-off section that exposes the test material inside the straw.
After tearing it open, it will turn a dark orange color if the drink has been spiked with something.
John suddenly had an idea in the middle of the night and came up with this design. [BBC]
They also stressed that excessive drinking is not limited to alcohol or specific groups.
“It could even be food,” John said, adding: “It just takes a second for someone to walk by and throw it in, and that’s it.”
After the competition, the team said they plan to continue developing their idea and sell the straws to different venues.
Volaris team hopes to promote straws across the Isle of Man [BBC]
Sue Cook, chief executive of Junior Achievement, said the project highlighted how young people are increasingly driven by the social impact of their efforts.
“When I first started, it was mostly about selling candy or T-shirts,” she explains. “The product and business ideas that have come out of this program are truly extraordinary.
“This generation thinks about social issues more than we do,” she added, “and I think that’s absolutely amazing.”
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