A new product which aims to prevent women's drinks from being spiked during nights out has left the internet divided.
The NightCap is a fabric lid disguised as a hair scrunchie for women to use to cover their drinks when they're out at clubs, bars and parties.
The product was invested by Shirah Benarde who presented it during a February 2021 episode of Shark Tank, the American equivalent of Dragon's Den.
According to the Nightcap website, the idea came to Shirah in a dream after hearing about the experiences of her friends who experienced drink spiking after going to university. The first prototype was made using some of her mum's pantyhose attached to a scrunchie.
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Since the product has gone viral on social media since it was featured on Shark Tank, while some people hail it as a great invention, others have asked why such a product is needed at all.
One commenter said: "This is genius... sad it's at this point but smart."
While a second TikTok user said: "This is amazing everyone should buy one."
A third person added: "I'm so glad this exists and so mad that it has to exist."
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And a fourth user simply said: "Best invention ever."
Further down the comments section, users noted how "sad" it is that the responsibility and burden to prevent drink spiking has to be the woman's.
"It's so sad that this has to be a thing," one person said.
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"It's kinda sad that we need these in this society," added another user.
And another TikTok account shared: "The sad part is that women have to worry about this in the first place!!"
Drink spiking is a widespread issue. A series of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests by Sky News in 2018 revealed drunk spiking had more than doubled in three years, with a 108 per cent increase since 2015.
Research by the BBC Radio 5 Live Investigations Unit carried out in 2019 found there were at least 2,650 reports of drink spiking in England Wales between 2015 and 2019 and 71 per cent of victims were women.
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In a bid to put an end to drink spiking, CrimeStoppers UK published tips on how to have a safe night out. They encourage everyone to keep a close eye on your drink and to never leave them unattended at any point.
Drink spiking with drugs such as Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and Rohypnol is illegal and carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison under UK law.
If you have been affected by this story, you can find help, advice and support from Rape Crisis here, or Women's Aid here.
Featured Image Credit: NightCap