In the Lab: Can rapid tests detect drink spiking?

Drink spiking is a growing concern in nightlife and social settings, posing serious risks to personal safety. Rapid tests offer a potential solution, but how effective are they in real-world conditions?

1. The importance of buffer in drink spiking tests

Buffers are critical for accurate drink spiking detection. Drinks vary widely in pH. For example, acidic drinks like wine or soda differ significantly from neutral water or highly alkaline spirits. These variations can disrupt the chemistry of lateral flow tests if not controlled.

A buffer stabilises the pH, ensuring the reactions on the test strip occur correctly. It also dilutes the drink, reducing the concentration of interfering substances such as sugars, alcohol and flavour additives. This minimises false positives and improves reliability.

Maintaining a stable pH is essential for the flow and interaction of reagents on the lateral flow strip. Without this control, test lines may fail to form properly, leading to inaccurate results.

2. The challenge of detecting GHB

Detecting GHB is particularly complex. Many so-called “GHB tests” don’t directly detect the drug itself but instead respond to chemicals used in its illicit production, making results unreliable. Adding to the challenge, GHB is naturally present in the body, and antibodies cannot be raised against it. This means enzyme-based chemistry must be used, which is less stable and harder to control.

3. Our approach

To overcome these issues, we have developed a dual lateral flow cassette:

• Strip 1 detects ketamine and benzodiazepines
• Strip 2 detects GHB using more reliable chemistry than colour-change kits
• A buffer tube dilutes the drink, reducing interference from pH, alcohol and additives

4. Performance

Our tests have been validated across a wide range of real-world drinks, including:

• Alcoholic drinks such as beer, wine and spirits
• Soft drinks like cola, tonic water and fruit juices
• Mixed cocktails, which often contain multiple additives

This ensures accurate detection even in complex drink environments.

The bottom line

Drink spike rapid tests need to be more than just quick; they must be accurate and reliable under real-world conditions. SureScreen Diagnostics brings laboratory-level science to personal safety, helping you stay protected wherever you are.