New California law protects you when you go out for a night out

There’s a new law in California that aims to protect anyone who just wants to go out to relax and have an adult beverage. The new law goes into effect full entry into force on 1 July 2024, and applies to any business whose primary purpose is to serve alcohol, such as bars and clubs. So any facility that holds one of California’s Type 48 licenses is now legally required to provide drug testing kits to all customers.

Drug testing equipment

The purpose of these new regulations is to: fight against adding drugs to drinks which has unfortunately seen an increase in frequency in California recently. Fortunately, new drug testing devices will help bar patrons test their drinks on the spot to ensure no dangerous substances have been added without their knowledge.

According to California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Drug testing devices refer to “test strips, stickers, straws and other devices intended to detect the presence of controlled substances in beverages.” In addition, testing devices must detect controlled substances such as: flunitrazepam, ketamine and gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB).

Safety signs for awareness

Additionally, new safety signs the availability of such drug testing devices should be clearly visible to all bar patrons. New safety signage must include information “Don’t get high! Alcohol-based drug testing kits are available here. Ask a staff member for details.”

A small price to pay

However, new drug testing devices may have its price. The new law states that facilities “must offer drug testing devices for sale to their customers at a price the cost should not exceed a reasonable amount based on the wholesale cost of these devices.” Hopefully, many local facilities will offer these drug testing devices alongside their personalized cocktails free of charge. It’s a small price to pay for a special service that is meant to keep valued customers safe from harm.

More information about Assembly Bill-1013 can be found here.