Spanish techno festival introduces tests to detect spiked drinks

An electronic music festival on a beach in eastern 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 odorless 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 color 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.

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 organizers.

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.

(Reporting by Eva Manez; Writing by David Latona; Editing by Rod Nickel)