Date rape Rohypnol

Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) is most commonly ingested orally, frequently in conjunction with alcohol or other drugs. It is often taken with other CNS depressants and has been given to women (without their knowledge) to lower their inhibitions. Thus it has been called a date-rape drug. 

Although the most well-known date rape drug is Rohypnol (see Chapter 5), the effects of GHB have also been exploited and used to commit sexual assault. In fact, the number of GHB-related sexual assaults in recent years has paralleled or even surpassed those involving Rohypnol. The number of GHB-related sexual assaults may be vastly underestimated because GHB is metabolized rapidly by the body and is often not detectable in blood or urine when the victim reports the... 

One of the greatest concerns related to the use of Rohypnol has been its potential as a date rape drug. When mixed with alcohol, its effects are substantially amplified, significantly decreasing a person s ability to evaluate and resist aggressive actions by another person. Although the problem of date rape involving Rohypnol has been extensively discussed in recent years, reliable data on its actual extent have been difficult to obtain. 

Trade names of some benzodiazepines are Ativan (lorazepam), Dalmane (flurazepam), Halcion (triazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam). Librium (chlordiazepoxide), Restoril (temazepam), Serax (oxazepam). Valium (diazepam). Versed (midazolam), and Xanax (alprazolam). Some street names include benzos, downers, and goofballs. The date rape drug Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) has its own group of names, including forget-me pill, Mexican valium, mind erasers, R2, roches, roofies, rope, and rophies (Figure 7.2). Except for Rohypnol , which cannot be sold in the United States, the benzodiazepines are listed as Schedule IV drugs. 

Figure 7.2 Photographed above is a box of Rohypnol tranquillizer pills, powerful sedatives normally prescribed as sleeping pills for insomniacs, which have unfortunately gained notoriety as a "date rape" drug. Rohypnol causes sleepiness and memory loss when dissolved in an alcoholic drink therefore, a blue dye has been added to the pills to prevent this from occurring unnoticed. 

The benzodiazepine Rohypnol has a rapid onset of action and has been used as a date rape drug. The victim will have no memory of any events that occurred while under the influence of the drug. The effects begin in about 20 to 30 minutes and peak in about two hours. 

The Drug-Induced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act of 1996 deals with the use of flunitrazepan (also called Rohypnol, or roofies ) to facilitate so-called date rape. The law provided for an additional sentence to be imposed in such rapes. 

The first news accounts that cite use of Rohypnol as a date rape drug are published. Rohypnol becomes one of more than 20 drugs that law enforcement officials assert are used in committing sexual assaults. 

ROHYPNOL (FLUNTRAZEPAM) An overseas prescription sleeping aid that, in lower doses, gives users a feeling similar to alcohol intoxication also used as a date rape drug. 

Several cases have documented the use of GHB to incapacitate victims of sexual assault. Along with another club drug, Rohypnol (known most commonly as roofies), GHB is often called a date rape drug. Both Rohypnol and GHB have been implicated in date rape cases. 

Many people in the United States have heard of Rohypnol (flunitrazepam), otherwise known as the date rape drug, as a result of news reports about its abuse. Rohypnol is neither actually on the market nor approved for medical use in the United States. However, it is legal and available by prescription in other parts of the world, including Mexico, South America, Asia, and Europe, where it is one of the most widely used benzodiazepine drugs. Like other benzodiazepines, it is a downer, meaning it acts as a sedative and has a depressant effect on the body s central nervous system (CNS). Other common benzodiazepine drugs include Valium, Xanax, and Halcyon. 

This has earned Rohypnol its most common nickname the date rape drug. On college campuses, women are warned not to leave their drinks unattended or accept a drink from someone they do not know. Because Rohypnol is colorless and odorless, it can be used to spike just about any beverage. When placed in an alcohlic beverage, Rohypnol increases the effects of the alcohol and the rate at which the person will start to feel drunk. ... 

According to published reports, Rohypnol was first used to commit date rape in 1993. In 1996, President Clinton signed the Drug-Induced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act. This legislation provides for prison sentences of up to 20 years for anyone possessing a controlled substance with the intent to commit a violent crime, including rape, by secretly drugging someone else. 

Finally, very rapid onset benzodiazepines have been widely reported as a means of "date rape," by using a small tasteless dose of the drug to make the victim incapable of protecting herself (or himself). This produces intoxication but not dependence. The drug most commonly used in this situation has been flunitrazepam (Rohypnol, "roofies," not available in the USA) and more recently GHB. The amnesia-producing effects of the benzodiazepines (see Chapter 22 Sedative-Hypnotic Drugs) make the victim unable to describe the events after she or he has recovered. 

Many benzodiazepines have potent hypnotic activity and are useful in the treatment of insomnia. Examples include flurazepam (Dalmane, A.93), midazolam (Versed, A.94), temazepam (Restoril, A.95), and triazolam (Halcion, A.96) (Figure A.28). Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol, A.97) is a particularly notorious sedative. Often called roofie or the date rape drug, flunitrazepam causes sedation and amnesia. Because of flunitrazepam s tendency to be abused, almost all nations tightly regulate the drug s availability. 

Figure 2.1 Because of its sedative-hypnotic effects, Rohypnol is often considered the date rape drug of choice. Although it is similar to Valium, it is 10 times stronger. Some of the characteristics of Rohypnol are described here.

According to Pulse Check Trends in Drug Abuse, published by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the availability of Rohypnol appears to be stable at low levels, and the drug is the least available of the club drugs and date rape drugs. The... 

The physician discussed with the patient the possibility that a surreptitious drug had contributed to the symptoms she had experienced that night. Although results of the standard toxicological screen were negative, the physician treating the patient believed she may have been a victim of the date rape drug Rohypnol. 

There have been a number of cases involving rapes facilitated by drugs other than the date rape drugs Rohypnol, GHB, and ketamine. In these cases, the defendants used drugs that were readily available, including codeine, cocaine, glue, sleeping... 

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