Journalist: Dylan Davis (OSU)
On Thursday morning, the “Operation: Splish Splash Protection Act” was introduced in the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature Senate by Sen. Keila Diaz (OU). This bill would require all sit-down restaurants in Oklahoma to offer cup covers to patrons either free of charge or at a cost. The primary goal of this bill, according to the author, is to “help protect women” from drink spiking, a phenomenon that involves putting alcohol or drugs into someone’s drink without their knowledge or permission. The bill passed and will now be voted on in the House within the coming days.
According to the Office of Women’s Health, about 56% of women and 44% of men report having a drink of theirs spiked at some point throughout their lives in a survey of 969 people. 37% of respondents in this survey reported having had their drinks spiked multiple times. Statistics such as these demonstrate how the practice of drink spiking has likely impacted millions of people’s lives.
The proposed legislation seeks to end this practice by requiring restaurants to offer cup covers. This legislation is not without precedent. In 2025, California passed a law requiring bars and nightclubs to offer a cup cover, either for free or at a “reasonable” price, to any patron who requests one.
Because the California law is relatively new, research on the program’s effectiveness is currently inconclusive. Despite this, a San Diego Police Officer named Colin Steinbroner says he believes that, based on his experience, it will help in specific cases. “It creates that barrier to that easy pill drop,” he says, regarding the new legislation. He also says that while the legislation does protect people in some instances, people are still “likely to be a little bit careless and leave their drinks sitting around. That leaves them open for predators, unfortunately.” So while this legislation is a stopgap, it is far from actually solving the problem as a whole.
According to the legislation, if restaurants were found to be in violation, penalties would include fines, temporary suspensions, and even license revocation. This would essentially force Oklahoma restaurants to comply with the new law.
The bill will be voted on in the House in the coming days, so Oklahomans and people around the country will be watching as Oklahoma could join California as the only state to require this kind of protection for restaurant patrons.