A test strip worn on the wrist and a simple gesture to protect your safety during moments of leisure. The fight against the so-called rape drug and the drink spiking phenomenon takes a decisive step by entering directly into Italian schools. The project, promoted by Federfarma Veneto and Federfarma Venezia under the leadership of president Andrea Bellon, involves the distribution of 400 disposable bracelets to students of a high school in Portogruaro, in the province of Venice. The initiative follows the success recorded in March 2026, when 2,500 free devices were distributed in Venetian pharmacies for Women’s Day.
The Venetian experience aims to become a reference model on a national scale. The objective is to structure homogeneous coverage throughout the country by opening a channel of discussion with the Ministry of Education. The device looks like a paper bracelet similar to those used at festivals: by pouring a few drops of cocktail on the test part, the test changes color if it detects substances such as ketamine or GHB, the odorless and tasteless gamma-hydroxybutyric acid. The delivery in high schools will be accompanied by meetings on gender violence and health risks.
Scientific reliability, technical limits and the map of use in Italy and Europe
Preventive devices offer immediate preliminary control without apps or electronic tools, but have precise conditions of use highlighted by science. A study by the National Center for Addiction and Doping of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità , published on Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicinenotes how ketamine is easily identified in gin-based drinks, while for GHB the color variation is less marked. Benzodiazepines and MDMA were not detected in the tests examined, while citrus fruits or dark drinks can generate false positives. The director of the ISS centre, Simona Pichini, suggested replacing the color change with the appearance of a symbol to overcome the poor visibility of discos.
The diffusion of prevention kits records important stages both in Italy and abroad. In July 2026, the Municipality of Modena led in operations by the local police commander Alberto Sola purchased 130 bracelets for the Safe Schools project. In Rome and Ladispoli, Federfarma Roma has distributed the Check Your Drink kit with 8 disposable strips. In Europe, similar devices were distributed to 5,000 young people at parties in Vila-real in Spain in May 2025, used at the Solidays festival in Paris and delivered to schools in Germersheim in Germany in April 2026.
