"Someone threw something in my drink."
“… Sure.”
Drink spiking often looks like “ordinary drunkenness”. The symptoms come on quickly, are ambiguous and the victim often does not know what is happening. They lose their memory, orientation and the ability to (dis)consent. But the most insidious thing is how often the people around them treat the victims of drink spiking. How quickly the situation is trivialised, trivialised or passed over by silence. And how easily the victim becomes the culprit in the eyes of others.
blurred
When it's Green Sejdija When she was 17, she became a victim of drink spiking, but she had no idea that this experience would affect not only her personal life, but also her professional life. She found out firsthand what helplessness was. She had no access to any information about how to behave or who to turn to. Veronika Simkova, another co-founder of the project, she also perceived stories about "drugs in drinks" around her.
The idea for BLURRED came about gradually; as part of the non-profit organization Beat Sexism, the two began to delve more deeply into drink spiking and soon realized that the problem was not just in raising awareness about the topic, but in the absence of a complete aid infrastructureIn the Czech Republic, there was practically no relevant data or systemic solution to drink spiking, even though these were not marginal stories from clubs.
Today, at its core, small agile team, which combines activism, education and research. The project operates on the values of a victim-first approach, systemic solutions and an emphasis on prevention and responsibility, and is based on three main pillars:
- science and research – cooperates with the University of Chemical Technology Prague, which ensures the development, testing and validation of detection technology against drink spiking.
- crisis support for victims drink spiking – provides immediate orientation and access to professional assistance through an online platform.
- the state as a key partner for change – promotes the legal anchoring of drink spiking, media coverage and the connection of the state with civil society.
The problem that appeared to be an exception is actually a pattern
At Beat Sexism, the founders began to map out that drink spiking is a relatively common experience that almost never makes it into police or health statistics. Many people encounter silence, shame, uncertainty, and, as a result, distrust in the system after an incident.
"The victims' testimonies from our quantitative and qualitative investigations show that these are not exceptions, but a recurring experience, especially in the nightlife environment."
The project is available today datawhich confirm this pattern:
- 1 of 3 people report personal experience with drink spiking
- 91% the victims are women
- 33% has experience with drink spiking since before the age of 18
- 72,6% did not report the incident
- 50,4% knows someone who has had this happen to them
- 60,2% of respondents are afraid that this could happen to them too
BLURRED continues to collect the representative data it needs as a solid foundation for creating effective prevention, raising awareness, and ensuring greater safety in society.
BLURRED aims to create a safer society and environment where there are clear procedures,
prevention, victim support and possibly legislative change. It therefore connects several levels: research and data, technological development (e.g. testing for the presence of drugs in a drink), crisis support for victims a education of businesses and professions, which are usually the first to arrive.
Consent culture is a social setting
“We still tend to see safety as an individual responsibility, not a shared responsibility of the environment.”
One of the biggest blind spots in the Czech debate on safety is the idea that it is mainly about individual responsibility. Be careful. Watch your drinking. Don't go out alone. Always be prepared. Safety built on the victim having to behave perfectly in an environment that is not perfect. Moreover, consent is often reduced to "she said yes", or in the worst case, "she didn't resist". It is not considered whether there was consent informed, voluntary and given in a state where the person is actually capable of it.
BLURRED reverses this logic. Instead of blaming, it builds an “infrastructure of trust”: dialogue, education, methodologies and certifications of businesses and professions closest to victims (bar staff, taxi drivers and others). It gradually involves clubs, bars, promoters, police and public institutions.
“We are building what we call an “infrastructure of trust” – relationships based on dialogue, not pressure. Each partner has a different language and role, and our job is to connect those worlds.”
The key moment for the project was March 2025, when a press conference was held with the Government Office. After months of preparation, for the first time there was a feeling that the topic was being taken seriously at the institutional level and that there was a willingness to listen and act.
Jury Prize in the Social Impact Award incubation program
Into the incubation program Social Impact Award (SIA) BLURRED applied in 2025. In the application, the team described that the problem of drink spiking in the Czech Republic had for a long time neither data, nor clear procedures, nor follow-up assistance.
SIA helped the team frame the project as a long-term solution. Within a few months of the program, the project had developed a clear identity BLURRED by beatsexism, launched a web platform and the first pilots in schools and bars, established new partnerships including Toxicological Information Center of the General Hospital and advanced the development of testing in collaboration with University of Technology.
“The Social Impact Award program helped us structure the project, think about sustainability, and set more ambitious but realistic goals.”
At the SIA gala, BLURRED deservedly won jury prize.
What will be next?
In a year, the girls want to have BLURRED as a functional standard in nightlife in the Czech Republic. In five years, a model that works internationally is created. The topic is starting to be well-known, the girls have collected 20+ media appearances and the topic is becoming more and more popular. And the ideal world? For them, it is one where BLURRED will no longer be needed.
You can follow their journey on the website blurred.cz, Instagram @blurred.beatsexism a LinkedInAnd increasingly, even in places where safety wasn't much of a concern before: in bars, clubs, schools, or taxi services.
Social Impact Award
Social Impact Award (SIA) Czechia je incubation program, which supports young people aged 14 to 30 in developing socially beneficial projects. Its aim is to help develop an idea into a real and sustainable business with positive impact to the company.
It offers:
- Mentoring Programme from experienced professionals and consultation with more than 190 experts.
- Workshops focused on developing entrepreneurial skills.
- Chance to win €1 for the best projects.
- Access to the international community over 30 social innovators.
It is intended for start-up projects that:
- They are in the initial phase (within 1 year of existence).
- They have not received any other support exceeding €3.
