A group of four male undergraduates at North Carolina State University created nail polish that changes color in the presence of date rape drugs.
The nail polish won this year's Lulu eGames, a North Carolina State University competition, ABC News reported.
"While date rape drugs are often used to facilitate sexual assault, very little science exists for their detection. Our goal is to invent technologies that empower women to protect themselves from this heinous and quietly pervasive crime," the company, called Undercover Colors, wrote on their Facebook profile.
The nail polish will respond to Rohypnol, Xanax, and GHB. If a woman is concerned about her drink she can casually stir it with her finger to see if the polish changes color.
"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. In effect, we want to shift the fear from the victims to the perpetrators. We are Undercover Colors and we are the first fashion company empowering women to prevent sexual assault," the company wrote.
The polish is still in the early stages of development, but will most likely be available in the near future, ABC News reported. The students are raising money for the project through a donation page.
The polish is not the first innovation in detecting date rape drugs on the spot. In 2011 Israeli scientists developed a straw that lights up when it detects the presence of a roofie. Last year the company DrinkSavvy invented a cup that changes in appearance if exposed to a drug.
"All of us have been close to someone who has been through the terrible experience, and we began to focus on preventive solutions, especially those that could be integrated into products that women already use," nail polish developer Ankesh Madan told Higher Education Works.
