Bars in Tempe to be required to have anti-drink spiking devices

TEMPE, Ariz. (NBC, KYMA) - Bars in Tempe could be required to have anti-drink spiking devices next year.

The City of Tempe has great nightlife, but they're looking to make it safer by preventing drinks from being spiked.

"What we want to do is make sure that if you're coming to enjoy Tempe's nightlife, that you're doing so in the safest possible environment," said Randy Keating with the Tempe City Council.

A vote is happening in January, and if approved, Tempe bars must have available or even sell these drug detection kits and drink covers.

"When there's been enough sample that's added to the test and it's ran properly, then it's going to change from blue to red," said Danya Sherman, Founder and President of Knope.

Sherman has been fighting to prevent drink spiking cases years as she was a victim to it while studying abroad in college.

"It's able to detect 12 different drugs of abuse in as little as one minute, within the benzodiazepine and ketamine classes, with the idea being that people are in the know of what they're consuming," Sherman shared.

According to the Tempe Police Department (TPD), in 2024, there were 23 cases where someone reported they believed their drink had been spiked. Out of the 15 of those cases tested, none came back positive.

"We do know these cases are typically under reported as far as sex crimes, and usually that's where we see during spiking is in conjunction with those sex assault cases," said Jessica Ells with TPD.

"90% of incidences don't go reported. Nearly two thirds of the of the young people that we have surveyed either have experienced or know someone who's experienced a drink spiking incident," Keating added.

Tyler Halstead, the owner of "Outlaw Distillery" in Tempe, says he's in favor of these precautions.

"I think it's an incredible way to showcase the City of Tempe taking a step in the right direction," Halstead expressed.