When you socialize regularly in college, you tend to developdeep and lasting relationships. Even if some of the connections areshorter-term, they can support you in different ways. For example, maybe acollege friend in your major is interested in starting a business with you.

According to American Addictions Centers, around 50 percentof women and men surveyed have had their drinks or food spiked at least once.This is a major issue facing Americans. It is also not an act that alwaysinvolves street drugs being discreetly slipped into a victim’s drink. Mostoften, alcohol is used to facilitate the crime of drug-assisted sexual assault.What also complicates spiking may be a lack of confidence in reporting theissue or even recognizing the symptoms.

Shirah Benarde is the CEO and Co-Founder at NightCap, aninnovative company addressing drink spiking prevention. NightCap was inventedby Shirah Benarde from West Palm Beach, Florida when she was 16 years old. Theidea came to her in a dream after hearing about the horrors of drink spikingfrom friends who experienced it after going off to college. Fortunately, herfriends were okay, but Shirah was determined to come up with a pragmaticsolution to this problem that could protect her and her friends when they wentoff to college.

Shirah, a 21-year-old Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree andco-founder of NightCap, transformed a personal tragedy into a mission tosafeguard nightlife after a friend fell victim to drink spiking. At just 17,she appeared on Shark Tank, securing one of the fastest deals in the show'shistory. NightCap has since sold over 500,000 units across 40+ countries andpartnered with over 170 major universities.

She also wanted to make sure that the product would besomething that girls would feel comfortable using. The next morning, she wentto her mother’s closet, grabbed a pair of pantyhose, cut them up, and attachedthem to a scrunchie to create the first prototype.

For more information: https://nightcapit.com/

Follow: @nightcapit