Tempe City Council unanimously passed an ordinance that would require businesses to provide drink spiking test kits.
This latest move comes after months of meetings and public input.
Councilmember Randy Keating is the chair of the Drink Spiking Education and Prevention Council Subcommittee. He says he heard from stakeholders and colleagues about updating the ordinance.
The revised ordinance pushes the implementation date up to August of this year and requires lab-certified testing kits that are commercially available.
Danya Sherman is the executive director of the anti-drink spiking organization Knope and attended the public meeting.
“Drink spiking and drug facilitated crime is oftentimes seen as an issue that can only affect women. And in reality, it's not," she said.
One of the individuals who spoke to Keating and other City Council members was Jessica Mendoza, the co-executive director of the student-led Arizona Students' Association.
“This ordinance matters because it says something different. It says that safety is not just an individual responsibility. It says that students deserve protection in public spaces," she said.
The city also plans to promote public outreach to inform and educate the community about drink spiking.
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Tempe officials are looking to design an area on the north bank of Tempe Town Lake. The expectation is that it will be done in phases and include a few distinct parts. -
Former Democratic Congressman and longtime Tempe Mayor Harry Mitchell died at the age of 86 last week. Mitchell’s accomplishments were many — but one was very personal. -
Robbie Sherwood served as district director for Harry Mitchell from 2007-2011; he’s currently the communications director for Arizona House Democrats. -
An internal investigation reveals a U.S. Army helicopter that released fuel over neighborhoods in Tempe and Phoenix in February did so intentionally to reduce weight so the aircraft could be airlifted out of state. -
As mayor, he played a major role in developing Tempe Town Lake; in Congress, he was a sponsor of the 21st Century G.I. Bill and also voted for the Affordable Care Act.
