A nail sticker that changes colour when it detects liquid ecstasy reaches Spain

A decorative nail sticker that changes colour when it touches liquid ecstasy is about to go on sale in Spain. It is meant as a quick, preliminary check of a drink on a night out or at a festival.

What happened?

A Valencian company, Grupo Lizne, has signed a deal to distribute the product exclusively in Spain. The technology comes from Philmedi, a South Korean laboratory.

The product is called Spy Nails by Freshia. It comes in ten discreet designs, including a heart, skull, star, cross and flower. A reactive area on the sticker turns from yellow to green when it detects GHB, also known as liquid ecstasy.

Jorge Lizondo, one of the company's partners, said they are not doctors or researchers, but they know how to develop projects. He said the 2016 La Manada case at the Sanfermines (Pamplona's famous bull-running festival) left a deep mark on him. As the father of a girl, the worry never went away.

What can it do, and what can't it?

The company is clear about the limits. This is a preliminary test specific to GHB. It does not detect every drug and does not replace laboratory analysis.

A negative result does not guarantee that a drink is safe. If you suspect something, the advice is not to drink it and to call emergency services if needed.

A laboratory at the University of Valladolid has certified it as a generic product, and it is now being manufactured. The company has also filed patent applications.

How did we get here?

In 2018, a court in Navarre convicted five men of sexual abuse, not rape, over the 2016 Sanfermines attack. The ruling sparked mass protests across Spain.

In August 2022, the "only yes is yes" law came into force. It reformed sexual crime legislation and put consent at the centre of the definition of sexual assault.

What's next?

Presales start at the end of November, in packs of ten tests, at a price the company calls "as affordable as possible". It expects to sell more than half a million units within twelve months, citing interest on social media.

The firm wants the product to be easy to find. It is seeking agreements with pharmacy chains, organisations and town councils to sell it in pharmacies, parapharmacies, perfumeries, drugstores, universities, festivals and Puntos Violeta (information points against sexual violence).

It is also working on a geolocation app that would let users voluntarily share their location with trusted contacts in a suspicious situation. Similar products for festival wristbands and mobile phones are planned too.