An electronic music festival on a beach in eastern Spain has set up tents where visitors can have their drinks tested to ensure they do not contain psychoactive substances that have been added without their consent.
Inside tents at the so-called “Purple Spot” at the Sunbeach Medusa Festival, social workers are also responding to potential cases of gender-based violence or sexual harassment.
The test kit is the first in Spain to detect GHB, also known as liquid ecstasy. GHB is a colorless, odorless party drug that acts as a central nervous system depressant. In recent years, the drug has gained a reputation as a “date rape” drug.
Purple Dots, set up in public places such as exhibitions and concerts, are an initiative of the Spanish Ministry of Equality. They work with local governments to help victims and witnesses of sexual harassment and gender-based violence. The name “Purple Dot” itself comes from the color purple which is associated with the feminist movement.
Rosana Galvez, a social worker for the Valencia region's women's network, said the tests were a way to prevent sexual violence.
A sample is taken from the participant's drink with a pipette and placed in a test tube containing a chemical reagent. If the drink contains GHB, it will turn bright red. The protocol requires that emergency services and law enforcement be notified whenever a positive reaction occurs.
“I think the existence of the purple dot is very important. At a festival, you are surrounded by a lot of people and it is very common for someone to put something in your drink without you knowing,” Adriana Barros, 18, told Reuters.
Raquel, a 23-year-old woman who declined to give her last name, said it was reassuring to “have a place where, if something happens to you, you know you can ask for help or advice.”
Medusa, Spain's biggest electronic music festival, celebrated its 10th anniversary with more than 56,000 people attending the show on Saturday, according to organizers.
In 2022, the festival made headlines after high winds caused a metal structure to collapse, killing a 22-year-old man and injuring nearly 40 people. (rz/rs)
