With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Bars And Nightclubs To Sell Drink-Testing Kits
A bartender mixing a drink at a bar.
(
Spencer Platt
/
Getty Images
)
Come July, bars and nightclubs in California must to offer patrons test kits so they can check their drinks for date rape drugs such as gamma hydroxybutyrate and ketamine. The drugs are often odorless, colorless, and tasteless even when mixed with a drink.
However, the test kits will not be offered for free. Entertainment venue owners can set a nominal price tag for the kits to their patrons.
Under the new law, AB-1013 — introduced by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal of Long Beach — bars and nightclubs also have to display a notice that the kits are available for sale.
The law states that the price should “not to exceed a reasonable amount based on the wholesale cost.”
Sponsored message
Long Beach launched its SipSafe Long Beach program in September. Businesses and organizations can apply for testing kits via a city website. According to the city’s police department, around 25 people are drugged annually while out at a restaurant or a bar.
In West Hollywood, the city council approved a partnership with Los Angeles LGBT Center WeHo Life program to purchase and distribute testing kits to businesses and patrons free of charge. From Oct. 1, 2022 till July 31, 2023, over 31,000 test kits have been distributed in the city.
A spokesperson for West Hollywood said despite the law going into effect, the city is still committed to purchasing and distributing the testing kits for now. Long Beach will continue to distribute the testing kits to businesses and restaurants for free while supplies last.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
