Tempe Becomes a National Model for Proactive Nightlife Safety as Drink Spiking Prevention Laws Spread Across the Country
TEMPE, AZ, UNITED STATES, July 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- NightCap, maker of the patented drink covers designed to prevent drink spiking, and Responsibility.org, the nation's leading alcohol responsibility nonprofit, announced a donation of 30,000 drink covers and 60 dispensers to the City of Tempe, Arizona, supporting local bars and restaurants ahead of Tempe's new ordinance, which takes effect August 1 and requires licensed establishments to stock drink spiking test kits. Businesses that also provide drink covers qualify for a 25% discount on their annual liquor license renewal. Drink spiking is a global and growing crisis. Incidents have surged across the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and beyond, with college communities among the most vulnerable populations. Tempe recognized this threat early and chose to act, becoming the first city in Arizona to pass a proactive municipal ordinance addressing drink spiking prevention, building on the momentum of California's landmark AB 2375, which took effect statewide on July 1, 2025. "We wanted every bar and every patron in Tempe to have access," said Shirah Benarde, co-founder of NightCap. "Every dispenser, every cover, is already paid for, so it costs a bar nothing to participate, and it costs a patron nothing to be protected."
What the Donation Includes
NightCap has always believed drink safety should be as accessible as a napkin. NightCap's dispensers are purpose-built around that belief, integrating drink covers, napkins, and straws in a single countertop dispenser, so reaching for a cover is as easy as reaching for a napkin.
The donation includes:
30,000 disposable StopTopps drink covers, each featuring a Responsibility.org logo and
QR code linking to responsible drinking resources
60 NightCap dispensers for distribution across Tempe bars
Each cover doubles as a touchpoint: patrons who scan the QR code are directed to a Responsibility.org landing page built specifically for the Tempe and ASU community (responsibility.org/tempe2026), with responsible drinking guidance available the moment it's needed most. Distribution is coordinated directly through Tempe's city government at no additional cost to bar owners, removing any financial barrier to compliance and participation.
A Community Getting Ahead of the Curve
Tempe is home to Arizona State University, one of the largest universities in the United States.
Rather than respond reactively, Tempe's leadership chose to get ahead, establishing a proactive
safety standard that prioritizes dignity, awareness, and prevention.
Normalizing drink cover access is part of a broader cultural shift underway in nightlife
communities worldwide. Just as designated driver programs and seatbelt campaigns once
seemed novel before becoming universal, drink covers are emerging as the next
common-sense safety habit, and Tempe is leading that normalization at the municipal level.
Responsibility.org, whose coalition represents the distilled spirits, beer, and wine industries, is
backing the effort to empower responsible alcohol choices, from funding to community
education support. The deployment is timed to reach full scale by August 1, ensuring Tempe's bars are fully
equipped before students return for the fall semester, a standard cities nationwide are already
watching closely.
Building on California's AB 2375
California's AB 2375, authored by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal and effective July 1, 2025,
established a national legislative precedent by requiring Type 48 licensed establishments to
provide drink covers upon request and display drink spiking prevention signage, covering
roughly 2,400 venues statewide. Tempe's ordinance reflects the same broader wave of drink
spiking prevention legislation, though it takes a different regulatory approach: rather than
mandating covers outright, Tempe requires test kits and incentivizes covers through a 25%
liquor license discount. NightCap and Responsibility.org's donation adds a coordinated
distribution effort, funded entirely by industry partners rather than bar owners.
About NightCap
Co-founded by Shirah and Michael Benarde, NightCap makes patented drink cover accessories designed to prevent drink spiking. NightCap has sold more than 1 million products and is trusted by 300+ universities, bars, and city programs in 70+ countries. NightCap is a Shark Tank alumna backed by Lori Greiner. https://nightcapit.com/
About Responsibility.org
Responsibility.org is the nation's leading nonprofit dedicated to eliminating drunk driving and addressing alcohol misuse, funded by the distilled spirits, beer, and wine industries. For more than 30 years, the organization has partnered with communities, campuses, and policymakers to promote responsible alcohol choices. www.responsibility.org
Shirah Benarde
NightCap
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