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Addison Bounds, a 22-year-old University of South Florida graduate student and former beach volleyball player, is leading development of Elora Armor, a jewelry line embedded with technology designed to detect narcotics in beverages. The company will produce bracelets, pendants, keychains and potentially phone cases equipped with electromagnetic sensors that alert wearers when their drinks have been contaminated with dangerous substances.
The jewelry targets benzodiazepines, drugs frequently used in drink-spiking incidents. Users simply apply a small amount of liquid from their drink to the sensor, which then transmits findings through a smartphone application indicating whether the beverage is safe to consume. If a drug is detected, the wearer’s location is automatically shared with designated contacts in their safety network.
Bounds co-founded the venture with Kira Robichaud, whose scientific expertise helps guide the small team of women developing the product. The pair plans to launch the bracelets in January 2028, aligning with the Los Angeles Olympics and aiming to prevent drink-spiking incidents before they occur.
A 2017 study of more than 6,000 college students across three universities found that 7.8 percent reported being drugged without consent, including roughly 10 percent of female participants and 4 percent of male participants. The Center for Violence Prevention and Self Defense Training warns that drugs used in spiking incidents are difficult to detect and become more potent when combined with alcohol.
Experts recommend several preventive measures: never leaving drinks unattended, accepting beverages only from trusted sources, using drink covers, avoiding shared containers, maintaining contact with friends and remaining aware of surroundings. Warning signs of spiked drinks include sudden intoxication, unexpected behavioral shifts, memory loss, hallucinations and unusual appearance or taste, along with physical symptoms such as loss of balance and blurred vision.
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