Okay so I suppose this is more for my benefit than anyone else's, but I'd be interested to hear what other people have to say and what your opinions are!
So when I heard about the nail varnish that detects the date rape drugs I was angry, but couldn't express why. I have since thought about it quite a lot and this is the conclusion that I've come to.
Even if we only consider rape cases in which the victim is in a night club, approached by a strange man etc. (which are by far not the norm and in the vast majority of rape cases special nail varnish or anything else would be no help at all) and a date rape drug is used, it doesn't prevent rape. That rapist does not go into a bar looking for a specific woman, he will rape whoever he decides to. If she wore a different dress, if she stayed at home, if she was fatter or thinner, if she had a different colour hair, if she detected date rape drugs in her drink, someone would still have been raped. He wouldn't think "oh well, she was the only one I was prepared to attack and rape, now she's detected my drugs I guess I'll just go home then".The nail varnish does not prevent rape, and to say it does is dangerous and misleading.
So say, a woman detects a date rape drug in her drink. She gets the hell out of there. The rapist would not give up and go home at this point, he'd find someone else. Someone who doesn't have that nail varnish. By not being "too drunk", or wearing "slutty" clothing, or wearing the special nail varnish, or going home earlier, you don't prevent rape. You sway the odds so it is less likely he will pick you, he is more likely to pick a faceless other girl. Who drank more or wore a shorter skirt or didn't buy the nail varnish and didn't 'protect' herself like you did. As long as you protect yourself, he will most likely choose someone else who didn't protect herself like you. Some who deserved it more than you. And we all know that leads straight to victim blaming and a whole host of disgusting stuff.
Does that explain it clearly why I'm angry? Am I right- or am I wrong? Other opinions and thoughts are welcome, this is just the conclusion I came to.