New California law requires public bars and clubs to have date rape testing devices

July 1 (UPI) — Public bars and clubs in California are now required to offer drug-testing devices to protect customers from drinks laced with “date rape drugs” under a state law that took effect Monday.

Bill 1013 requires 2,400 establishments with Type 48 licenses issued by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to offer the testing devices free of charge or for a price “not to exceed a reasonable amount based on wholesale cost,” the department said in a release.

Type 48 licences are issued to public bars and nightclubs where alcohol is served and where minors are prohibited from entering or staying.

The agency, which authorizes the sale of beer, wine and distilled spirits, requires establishments to display signage that reads: “Don’t get high! Alcohol-infused drug testing kits are available here. Ask a staff member for details.”

Such testing devices “can detect the presence of controlled substances in beverages” such as flunitrazepam, ketamine and gamma-hydroxybutyric acid.

For testing, a few drops of the drink are applied to a test card. If the card turns blue or green, the drink has probably been tampered with.

“You never know when someone might make you a potential target,” Yahya Algathab, a patron at the bar, told KGTV-TV in San Diego. “The peace of mind with these kids is also like having an angel sitting on your shoulder, you know, watching over you.”

The bar at Number One Fifth Avenue in Hillcrest will be offering them for free.

If facilities fail to comply with these regulations, they will be subject to “administrative actions affecting their licenses.”