UBC scientists invent stir stick that detects drugged drinks

By Canadian Press on March 27, 2025.

VANCOUVER — Researchers at the University of British Columbia say they’re gearing up to start “real-world testing” of a stir stick that can detect if a drink has been spiked with drugs.

The university says in a news release that the device called “Spikeless” was developed in its faculty of applied science, and the inventors hope for widespread adoption to combat drugs being added to drinks and to prevent sexual assaults.

It says the “seemingly ordinary stir stick” can detect drugs such as GHB and ketamine, changing colour if a beverage is contaminated.

Co-inventor Samin Yousefi, a masters student at the university, says the stick is “discreet” compared with similar inventions, such as cups, coasters or straws developed to detect drugged drinks.

The university says the concept for the invention was devised by Johan Foster, an associate professor of chemical and biological engineering, and his brother, in 2011, and a prototype has been in the works for the last three years.

Foster says the stir stick can offer bars and other venues a potential “competitive advantage” if it makes customers feel safer.

Police across Canada have issued numerous warnings about drugged drinks, and RCMP in Nanaimo, B.C., launched a public awareness campaign this month after “several reports” of drinks being drugged at nightclubs in their communities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2025

Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press