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THE BATTALION
Date-rape drug detecting coasters may not work
E.R. visits up
from GHB usage
The use of an illegal party drug
that is also used as a "date-rape”
drug has risen in recent years.
GHB, or gamma hydroxybutyrate,
is a hallucinogen that causes
intoxication and incapacitation.
Estimated number of visits to
U.S. emergency rooms due
to GHB/GBL usage*
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
J
94 '95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 00
'Gamma
derivative of
olactone, or GBL, is a
IB.
SOURCES: Department of Heatlh and
Himan Services: www.projectghb.org
AP
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Colleges
around the country are buying millions
of coasters that test for “date-rape”
drugs in drinks. But some experts say
the coasters are ineffective and could
lead to more assaults by creating a false
sense of security.
The manufacturers — who also
make fake snow and party foam — say
the 40-cent paper coasters are 95 per
cent accurate. The coasters have test
spots that are supposed to turn dark
blue in about 30 seconds if a splash of
alcohol contains drugs often used to
incapacitate victims.
In tests at the Michigan State Police
Crime Lab, however, the coasters failed
to react clearly to drinks spiked with
gamma hydroxybutyrate, a major date-
rape drug known as GHB, said forensic
scientist Anne Gierlowski.
”We tested red wine, cola, whiskey
and orange juice and because three out
of the four have color already, it was
very hard to decipher a color change,”
she said. “It’s a nice idea, but it’s prob
ably a nicer idea for the people selling
them because they’ve probably made a
lot of money.”
Plantation, Fla.-based Drink Safe
Technologies Inc. has sold about 50
million of the coasters since March,
mostly to colleges and convenience
stores, said president Francisco Guerra.
Guerra likens the coasters to con
doms: While not 100 percent safe and
effective, they are a good prevention tool.
“I’ve had 100 people say this saved
them from getting raped,” said Guerra,
a former magician. “Before me, there
was no way to detect it. It’s nice to be
able to do something about it.”
A federal task force recently esti
mated that college drinking leads to an
estimated 70,000 sexual assaults or
rapes annually.
Yasmine Timberlake, a sophomore
at San Jose State University, was grate
ful for the coasters handed out by the
YWCA at a bar near campus.
“We’re girls, and we’ve got to be
careful,” she said, putting a handful in
her purse. “That’s all we can do.”
And students are now openly talking
about date rape at St. Mary’s University
in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which bought
800 coasters to pass out to freshmen.
“That’s the purpose: to educate
them and to make them more aware,”
said Donnie Jeffrey, who runs St.
Mary’s alcohol-awareness program.
The coasters’ labels promise they
will help “identify the presence of
illicit drugs in beverages.” But in
response to questions from The
Associated Press, co-inventor Brian
Glover, a New York dentist who dab
bles in chemistry, acknowledged that
the coasters can identify just two of
the many date-rape drugs — GHB
and ketamine.
u
Vve had 100people say this
saved them from
getting raped.
— Francisco Guerra
president of Drink Safe Technologies Inc.
There are 36 drugs on the street
classified as date-rape drugs, too
many for police field tests to detect.
said Trinka Porrata, a retired Los
Angeles detective who is an authority
on GHB.
“I’m horrified to think people are
actually buying it and passing it out. I
think it will do more damage than it
will ever do good,” said Porrata, a
board member of Project GHB, a pre
vention and education organization. “If
it was that simple, we could shut down
all of our crime labs.”
Porrata tested different varieties of
drugs on the coasters. Some test spots
turned a slight shade of blue within 30
minutes; others did not change color
until hours later, she said.
The Drug Enforcement
Administration also advises against
putting faith in tests that cannot keep up
with the constantly changing chemistry
of illegal drugs.
“In cases where there are scientif
ic advances, the bad guys get around
it faster than the good guys can,”
DEA spokeswoman Rogene Waite
said. “I would urge people to be real
ly, really, really careful. It’s so dan
gerous, I wouldn’t want them to rely
on one thing.”
Census bureau must
release adjusted count
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) —
A federal appeals court ruled
to the Census Bureau must
release its statistically adjusted
count for every state, county
and neighborhood in the coun
try — a decision that could
affect how billions in govern
ment money is distributed.
Democrats, big-city politi
cians and civil rights groups
have charged that the 2000 cen
sus missed 3.2 million people
-most of them minorities and
the poor — and that many com
munities are being short
changed government funding
that is distributed by popula-
:nt| tion.
In a unanimous decision
AW/afeTuesday, a three-judge
panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals said the pub
lic is entitled under federal
open-government law to see the
?d wit
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Ur cs, which show how many
people were probably missed.
The court rejected Census
Bureau arguments that releas-
ln f? the data would expose sen
sitive internal debates and have
a chilling effect” on future
policy discussions at the
agency.
Census Bureau officials
eclined to comment and
teterred calls to the Justice
epartment, where spokesman
arles Miller said no decision
as E 16611 made on whether to
appeal to the Supreme Court,
c would not comment on the
^ng itself.
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siting trial in Net
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the
ter
After census takers and cen
sus questionnaires were sent
out in 2000, the Census Bureau
used mathematical formulas to
estimate how many minorities,
renters and others might have
been missed in inner cities,
rural areas and other places.
Those figures are often called
the “undercount.”
But the Census Bureau
refused to release the under
count, contending the adjusted
figures are unreliable and
would cause political battles
over federal funding. The
bureau has instead been releas
ing only the unadjusted popula
tion counts arrived at through
census takers and question
naires.
The ruling only mandates
that the Census Bureau release
the adjusted figures.
It does not actually force the
bureau to use those numbers in
place of the unadjusted figures
that were issued for political
redistricting and the distribu
tion of billions in federal fund
ing.
A 1999 U.S. Supreme Court
ruling bars the use of adjusted
numbers for reapportioning
congressional seats.
However, the Census Bureau
has left open the possibility of
using adjusted data for federal
funding in the future. And state
and local governments would
be free to use the adjusted num
bers for redistricting and for
distributing tax dollars, unless
the laws there say otherwise.
P ICKING UP your 2002 Aggieland is
easy. If you ordered a book, look for
the distribution table today in front of
the Reed McDonald Building. (Go to
the Reed McDonald basement in case
of inclement weather.) Please bring
your Student ID. If you did not order
last year's Texas A&M yearbook (the
2001-2002 school year), you may pur
chase one for $40 plus tax in 015 Reed
McDonald. Hours: 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Monday-Friday. Cash, checks, Aggie
Bucks, VISA, MasterCard, Discover
and American Express accepted.
Let's Co
-M. ■■■ aw _M_
Out To Eat
Thursdays in The Battalion
■ uammm ■ mmsmmm m mmmmm m
CENARE
Italian Restaurant
FREE TOASTED RAVIOLI
Large selection of.authentic entree’s under 4 10.00
plus ask about
Date Night
*25.00 per couple
Includes appetizer, 2 salads, 2 entree’s, & a dessert to share
* Only Tuesdays and Wednesdays
404 University Dr. 696-7311
Mariyas
Greek and American Grill
Authentic Greek Food
1 Vegetarian Dishes • Gyros
1 Texas Size Hamburgers • Baklava
5% off w/purchase
w/rhis coupon*
Expires 1 f -6-02
Closed Monday. Tuesday - Thursday 1 lam - 9pm, Friday - Sac, 1 lam - 10pm, Sunday 1 lam - 9pn
*1 coupon per person, please
MEXICAN CAFE
33 I 2 S. College Ave., Bryan
Serving the freshest and best mexican fast food for over 32 years.
Half-Price
Crispy Tacos
w/ purchase of Large Drink
Present coupon when ordering. Limit 10.
Expires I 1-6-02.
One coupon per person, per order. Not valid with any other offer.
Drive thru open late - after Midnight Yell .
I
1804 Welsh
693-2337
A&M Consolidat
-
TEXAS BAR-B-Q
Come and Get It!
SANDWICHES
Buy 1, get 1 FREE
When you present this ad. Coupon good for up to 5 tacos.
504 Harvey Road
696-7383
Valid until November 30, 2002 • Rudy’s accepts the Aggie Card
m m awsm m m lomMEea m
3© tuyrn 1
' Receive '
10% OFF
with this coupon
x offer not redeemable with any other discounts ^
693-7300
Limited delivery area with MO or more order
*
*
m
VIETNAMESE NOODLE SOUP
Our special combination of Vietnamese spices
makes Pho Jo lx ns different from all others.
If you are looking for a new dining experience that is flavorful
and healthy, give us a try. You'll he glad you did.
I
1
i
NT
2501 S. Texas Ave., Suite CIOS
Mon-Thur: I I am-10pm
Fri-Sat: I I am-10:30pm **
Sunday: I 2prr© Oprn^||
IFREE EGG ROLL! M.00 OFF ,
I w/ purchase of any entree i any entree |
I One coupon per visit Coupon expires 10/31/02 J One coupon per visit. Coupon expires 10/31/02 I
1901 Texas Avenue B2
College Station • 979-696-1250
(Ne xt to Super Pro Nails, in the new Hobby Lobby Shopping Center)
m m mmmmM m mmmmm m
| ( lHe ‘Edge Cafe
!
df
JAVA. COZHKT
“Northgate’s Newest Eatery”
Now serving breakfast, lunch, dinner,
and “illy” Europe’s best-selling coffee.
Bring rii fo7 FREE
shot of Espresso or cup of coffee
m
i
- '/V
• Wood fire pizzas
• Individual stir fry \
•Teas, smoothies,
Italian soda’s
• Much, much more!
Located within Tradition Dorm across from Burger Boy
2>\ j
FREE APPETIZER
with meal purchase and this coupon
f)p cuanecf & nperntc.rf
222 n. main in historic cfoiantoran hrejan 979.822.2675
1