Spanish techno festival becomes first to introduce tests to detect spiked drinks

The testing kits detect GHB, also known as liquid ecstasy

Reports of spiking went up fivefold in the UK between 2018 and 2022 (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A music festival on a beach in Spain has set up tents where revelers can drug-test their drinks to ensure they do not contain psychoactive substances slipped into the beverages without their consent.

At the so-called “violet point” of the Medusa Sunbeach Festival, social workers also respond to possible cases of gender-based violence or sexual abuse.

The testing kits, a first for Spain, detect GHB, also known as liquid ecstasy, a colour- and odourless party drug that acts as a central nervous system depressant. In recent years, it has gained notoriety as a “date-rape” drug.

The violet points rolling out at public gatherings such as fairs and concerts are an initiative of the Spanish Equality Ministry, in collaboration with local governments, to aid victims and witnesses of sexual harassment and gender-based violence. Their name derives from the purple colour associated with the feminist movement.

Rosana Galvez, a social worker for the Valencia region’s women’s network, said the tests were a way to prevent sexual assaults.

Bathers cool off in the water while others sunbathe on a Barcelona beach, Spain, Wednesday, July 24, 2024 (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Samples are taken with droppers from attendees’ drinks and inserted into a test tube with a chemical reagent. If the liquid contains GHB, it turns bright red. The protocol mandates alerting emergency services and law enforcement whenever there is a positive reaction.

“I think the violet point is very important. At a festival, you’re surrounded by a lot of people and it’s very normal for somebody to slip something into your drink without you noticing,” 18-year-old Adriana Barros told Reuters.

Raquel, 23, who declined to give her last name, said it was reassuring to “have a place where, if something happens to you, you know that you can go for help or advice”.

Medusa, Spain‘s largest electronic music festival, celebrated its 10th anniversary with more than 56,000 people attending Saturday’s performances, according to organisers.

In 2022, it made headlines when strong winds caused the collapse of a metal structure, killing a 22-year-old man and injuring nearly 40 people.

A fourth summer heatwave hit Spain in recent days, with northern regions of the country sweltering in abnormally high temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius on Sunday.

Temperatures soared over the weekend across Spain but especially in the traditionally cooler northern Cantabrian Sea area, triggering “extreme risk” alerts in the regions of Cantabria and the Basque country, weather service AEMET said.