By Johnny Diaz
Sun Sentinel.
What is pink, made of silicone and designed to cover just about any drink?
It’s called a Roofie Blocker, and it’s a lid created by Hollywood personal injury attorney Virginia Drogo and intended to help prevent date rapes in social settings like bars, parties and college campuses. The “blockers” are available in various sizes to cover glasses, beer cans and bottles and bear catch phrases like “Back off!” and “Don’t touch my drink!”
The greater message, however, is about spreading awareness, Drogo said. She came up with the idea after a friend’s daughter was drugged at a party and assaulted. Drogo wanted to do something proactive to help women and men protect their drinks by making it harder for anyone to spike cocktails and beers with what are commonly called “date rape drugs” such as Rohypnol (roofies) or GHB.
“Prevention is more important than compensation. Let’s prevent this from happening in the beginning,” said Drogo, of Plantation.
“Awareness is the biggest part of this.”
The full party, glass party and can party packages come in small plastic bags that say: “Watch Your Drink. Think Smart. Safety First.”
Inside is a guide with phone numbers and website information for agencies including the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence and Broward County Sexual Assault Treatment Center.
“Many of these drugs are colorless or odorless, and they can be slipped in a glass of water,” she said. “On its face, the lid covers the drink and keeps it protected … What we have here is a drink condom.”
She acknowledged someone can easily take the lid off. “But if they do, there’s a good chance of people noticing it,” she said.
Drogo said she has spent the past three years developing her product and applied for a design patent, which is pending. She began selling the lid packages for $6.99 to $12.99 on her website, justcapit.net. Her 11-year-old son, Robert Lorenzo, helped with some of the catch phrases on the lids.
Products to help prevent date rapes have been in the news lately. A group of North Carolina university students spurred conversation on the subject late last year after developing a nail polish, called Undercover Colors, which is said to change color if it comes into contact with certain drugs.
In England, there’s a drink stopper called Spikey, which fits inside the neck of a bottle so that only a straw can pass through.
“Drink spiking is a worldwide problem” said Spikey representative Gill Henshaw in an email.
Marnie Goldberg, of Davie, bought lids for her 27-year-old daughter and her friends who like to go clubbing. Goldberg also carries some in her purse. Her lids say, “Don’t even.”
“They are very trendy-looking,” said Goldberg. With the covers, “you’re at least being proactive and being cautious about your surroundings and where you’re at.”
Drogo is peddling the lids, which she carries in her purse during her daily travels, and hopes to display them at two events next month: the Winter Music Conference in Miami Beach and the Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas. She said she also, along with her son, auditioned for the popular ABC inventor’s series, “Shark Tank,” in Miami Beach last month.
“I try to give them away as much as I can because I am looking to promote the awareness,” she said. “I want people to be alert.”
