I have to admit that when I first heard about “Undercover Colors,” a new nail polish designed to change colors when exposed to date rape drugs, I was on the fence about it. I thought, “This might sound like a good concept, but would I actually go out to buy it? How would I know for sure that it worked? What if it’s already too late by the time it changes color?” But after giving it more thought and reading details about this product designed by four North Carolina State University students, I feel like it’s something us collegiettes™ should at least give a chance.
How did I come to this conclusion? I couldn’t help but remember my own personal experience with a spiked drink. Although it was in high school, and I had my friends by my side, I’ve dealt firsthand with what it’s like to have more in your drink than expected or desired. Even in the “safest” of situations, feel hopeless and, quite honestly, stupid.
If applying a certain nail polish to our fingertips and casually stirring a drink before sipping can prevent an unfortunate event from occurring, then I say why not? Lately, I’ve seen more articles bashing the idea than supporting it, and I don’t see a good enough reason why.
Some say it promotes victim-blaming, it doesn’t help solve the real issue at hand and women shouldn’t have to do this to protect themselves from rapists, but I disagree. As young women, we know we have to take matters into our own hands (literally) and be smart when it comes to safety and sexual assault. At least this product can bring light to a problem often shoved under the rug and lets perpetrators know we now have a way to detect traces of an “invisible” drug.
Here’s an unnerving statistic: Nearly one in five women experience rape at some point in their lives, and a third of them occur among college-age females.
I can’t say for sure that Undercover Colors will be successful, but I know that if I could go back to that night five years ago, I wish I would’ve had the option to check my drink with some simple nail polish. It’s better than nothing, right?
Photo credits: www.dailytech.comwww.dailymail.co.ukwww.myfoxmemphis.com