Test for date-rape drug catches on

Stephen Curran

Friday, July 12, 2002 | 8:52 a.m.

While Las Vegas businesswoman Charlyne Cutler has never been a date-rape victim, she feels a responsibility toward those who have.

That's why she developed a test three years ago to test for GHB, a drug commonly associated with date rape. Her Guardian Angel test strips, which went on the market in 1999, allow men and women to test drinks instantly for the substance, often slipped into women's drinks in crowded bars.

The tests, which look like everyday paper strips, turn blue if the drink contains the drug. They are also available in "swizzle stick" form, making the test look like a wooden drink stirrer.

They sell in packages of five tests for $5.

Cutler said Internet sales have been brisk and that a number of Las Vegas-area convenience stores and nightclubs also have decided to begin selling her product. She is currently trying to take her business international, bringing it to countries where GHB is legal.

"I'm pleased with the progress," she said. "All things considered, sales have been good."

Cutler, who owns two other Las Vegas-based businesses, said the idea came to her while she and her partner, Alissa Garcia, were watching a news report on GHB and were "horrified" that such a substance exists.

Guardian Angel is funded through profits from her other two businesses, she said, because rape is a difficult topic to broach in an advertisement.

"It's difficult because no one wants to talk about rape, but it was such a horrific thought that someone could put this substance in your drink without you knowing," Cutler said.

However, it is difficult to speculate on the reliability of such a test, said University of Nevada, Las Vegas biochemistry professor Stephen Carper, who likened the test to a pregnancy test, which operates on a similar principle.

Tests like Cutler's contain enzymes embedded on the paper, which will produce a particular color (in this case, blue) when they react with GHB. In many cases, Carper said, such tests have problems because they can also react with non-GHB substances.

"It may or may not be correct," Carper said. "It depends on what substances may be in it."

In fact, earlier versions of Cutler's test would produce a false positive when placed in drinks containing orange juice, but the problem was later corrected. A pamphlet within the product container warns users that the product may produce an incorrect result in coffee and red wines.

In the end, Carper said, such a test could be useful for young club-goers, but not as useful as common sense.

"It's a layer of protection, but you should be able to trust the people you're with," he said.

That sentiment was echoed by UNLV junior Stephanie Larsen, an accounting major who said she has friends who have had encounters with the drug. For that reason, she said, she does not let anyone buy her drinks at bars.

But, while she takes precautions, a drink can easily fall into the wrong hands in a crowded social situation, Larsen said.

"It's not a huge concern for me, I have a boyfriend" Larsen said. "But when you go out with your girlfriends, it is something you think about."

For more information on Guardian Angel test strips, visit the company's website (www.test4ghb.com).