‘Spiked drinks’ bill moves ahead as California seeks to root out roofies

Bar creeps, beware — California isn’t stopping in its efforts to combat spiked drinks.

A bill aimed at protecting people from being “roofied” in bars and nightclubs cleared the state Assembly floor with unanimous support Thursday, advancing a proposal that would make existing safety requirements permanent.

AB 1982, introduced by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, now heads to the state Senate after lawmakers voted to extend rules requiring certain bars and nightclubs to provide drink lids and drug-testing devices to customers.

The measure would eliminate a sunset date for current law — currently set for the start of 2027 — to ensure drinking establishments that hold Type 48 liquor licenses continue offering the protections indefinitely.

“This is a preventable, solvable crisis of sexual assault, quite honestly, that takes place in the state of California,” Lowenthal said on the Assembly floor.

Under California’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, bars and nightclubs with Type 48 licenses must offer drug-testing strips or similar devices at a reasonable cost and provide drink lids upon request.

They are also required to post signs informing customers: “Don’t get roofied! Drink lids and drink spiking drug test kits available here. Ask a staff member for details.”

Lowenthal framed the bill as a straightforward prevention effort aimed at deterring crimes that often go unreported and are difficult to prosecute. It would make two past bills that codified the requirements into law permanent.

“There’s zero no votes on either of these [past two laws] when they made it through with bipartisan support,” Lowenthal said. “It’s been very successful in reducing the levels of drink spiking, of sexual assault and rape, and this bill will allow the successful program to continue.”

“Roofie” is a slang term for a drug — most commonly Rohypnol — that is secretly slipped into a person’s drink to sedate or incapacitate them, often to facilitate crimes such as sexual assault.

Horrific incidents involving “roofies” in recent months include a USC student allegedly drugging, tying up and sexually assaulting three women, and a Miami woman allegedly drugging and robbing men she met at bars.

A survey by Alcohol.org found a significant percentage of people reported unknowingly consuming spiked food or drinks.

The survey of 969 people found that 44% of men and 56% of women reported experiencing drink or food spiking. Among those respondents, 37% said it had happened multiple times.

The survey also found that more than half of the reported incidents occurred during college, while 19% occurred in high school.

Researchers noted that substances used to spike drinks can often be added without detection, and the symptoms can resemble heavy alcohol consumption — making cases difficult to identify. ​

AB 1982 applies specifically to Type 48 license holders, venues such as bars and nightclubs, where alcohol is served without the requirement that food be available.

Businesses can charge a reasonable fee for lids or testing devices, but are not required to do so, and they are shielded from liability for inaccurate test results.

The legislation comes amid renewed attention to allegations of drink spiking and drug-facilitated assaults, including recent claims involving disgraced former congressman Eric Swalwell, who denied drugging, choking and raping a woman in Los Angeles.

If approved by the Senate and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, AB 1982 would lock in the state’s current requirements indefinitely.

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