California requirement for bars to offer date rape drug test kits starts July 1

(The Center Square) - A California law requiring alcohol-serving establishments such as bars and clubs to offer date rape drug testing kits goes into effect on July 1. AB 1013, the law behind the mandate, passed unanimously in 2023.

The bill requires establishments to have signs saying, “Don't get roofied! Drink spiking drug test kits available here. Ask a staff member for details” prominently displayed, and provide the kits for free or a “reasonable” amount relative to wholesale price.

The test kits must be able to detect at least flunitrazepam (also known as “roofies”), ketamine, and gamma hydroxybutyric acid. Type 48 license holders — the bars and nightclubs targeted by the law — are not liable for the veracity of the test kits so long as the kits have not expired. A ten-pack of common strips costs approximately $15.

According to a statement of support from Alcohol Justice on behalf of the bill, “the actual incidence of having a drug put in one's drink without one's knowledge varies from around six percent to 25% depending on the survey. Yet even the lowest rate – 1 in 20 – means that you can look around any given bar on a Friday night and know that at least one person there has or will be the victim of spiked drink.”

The California Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control notes “Violations of this law are not criminal offenses but may result in administrative citation against the license.”