Female
students in the UK are being warned to be on their guard since a
number of women have had their drinks spiked in bars.
One student who declined to be named recalled the evening, "I
had several drinks but was by no means drunk and was enjoying myself
until approximately 10:45pm. I believe my drink was spiked as I
have no memory from that time until about 6am the following day."
The woman's friends found her, cold, upset and disorientated outside
of the venue, she was unable to walk and could not speak coherently.
The
woman phoned the local Rape Crisis line and the counsellor suggested
that she may have had her drink spiked with the drug Rohypnol. The
female student is now sure that her behaviour and experiences were
synonymous with those experienced by others who have inadvertently
taken the drug.
Thankfully the woman did not come to any physical harm, however
she wants to heighten the attention of other club goers so that
they will be on their guard, "I am very concerned that this
may happen to another person and they may not be so lucky".
This is not a new phenomena, the illicit use of Rohypnol originated in Europe in the 1970s and has increased world-wide since then. Rohypnol (pronounced row-hip-nole) is a powerful sedative commonly prescribed as a sleeping pill in Europe and Latin America since 1975. In the UK Rohypnol is only available by private prescription (not NHS) however in the US recent legislation has made it a Class A drug and it is illegal.
Manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Rohypnol is the brand name for the drug Flunitrazepam. It belongs to a class of drugs known as Benzodiazepines which include widely used medications such as Valium, Librium, and Xanax, however, the sedative effects of Rohypnol are 7-10 times greater than that of Valium.
Rohypnol is available in round white tablets that are slightly smaller than an aspirin. It is available in 1mg and 2mg doses; however, the 2 mg dose is currently being removed from world-wide markets. One side of the tablet contains the name "Roche" and an encircled 1 or 2 while the reverse side is marked with either a cross or single horizontal groove. Common street names for the drug include roachies, la rocha, rope, roofies, ruffies, Mexican valium, rib, R-2 and Roach-2.
Rohypnol
is becoming the drug of choice for would-be rapists whose identity
is often masked by the amnesia-like effects of the drug, said Pamela
Evans, a registered nurse at Cardiff Health Service's Women's Clinic.
The most common scenario of reported cases in which Rohypnol is
used to facilitate rape is that in which a perpetrator laces a victim's
drink with a tablet of Rohypnol. Since the drug usually lacks colour,
odour, and taste and dissolves quickly, a victim can ingest it unknowingly.
The effects of Rohypnol
The initial pharmacological effects of Rohypnol appear 15-30 minutes
after intake and include impaired memory and judgement, drowsiness,
loss of fine motor skills, dizziness, and confusion. The victim
may feel intoxicated. Eventually the victim may lose consciousness
thus becoming vulnerable to attack. The effects reach their peak
within 1 to 2 hours after intake and continue for an average of
8 to 10 hours. At higher doses and when combined with other drugs
the effects may persist for 24 hours. Higher doses of Rohypnol may
induce amnesia. Alcohol and other drugs work synergistically with
Rohypnol thus enhancing the effects. "In the States there have
been women found in cars without clothes on who couldn't remember
anything except that they feel violated," Mrs Evans confirmed
that in this country the drug's use has to date been minimal however
she recommended that people "watch their drinks, go out with
a partner, girlfriend ... and avoid clubbing alone."
The
Norwich evening news published an article back in July about the
use of Rohypnol in the city, at which time there had been two incidents
which occurred in city centre pubs and led to victims being indecently
assaulted while in a drugged stupor. Detectives believed tablets
of Rohypnol were slipped into the victims' drinks by an unknown
male. The tablets, which are commonly white but can be green,
or violet, have also been reported to be for sale on the streets
of Coventry. That said, it is still very rare in the UK, but in
the US it's low street price of around $2-4 per tablet has ensured
its use on college and university campus's.
Individuals who suspect they have been assaulted and/or drugged with Rohypnol (or any other substance) may choose to contact their local rape crisis center or contact the police for drug testing and information on available resources. Most substances can be detected through appropriate drug testing. The findings of such tests can provide valuable evidence in a court of law if the rape survivor chooses to prosecute the case.
Rohypnol can be found in urine for up to 72 hours after ingestion, however samples taken closer to the time of ingestion increase the likelihood of detecting the drug. The urine test for Rohypnol will also test for the presence of other benzodiazepines, as well as for marijuana, cocaine and some opiates and barbiturates. Individuals ideally also should save the glass/beverage the drug was dissolved in for testing, although this is generally unrealistic. On the positive side the manufacturers of Rohypnol have announced that from now on the tablets will be distributed in a form which dissolves very slowly in water and leaves a residue floating on the surface of a liquid. Unfortunately, we cannot expect counterfeiters to do the same.
Here are some things that people can do to reduce the risk of consuming "date rape" drugs:
1.Don't drink beverages that you did not open yourself;
2.Don't exchange or share drinks with anyone;
3.Don't take a drink from a punch bowl;
4.Don't drink from a container being passed around;
5.If someone offers you a drink from a bar at a club or a party,
accompany the
person to the bar to order the drink, and watch the drink being
poured. Carry the
drink yourself;
6.Don't leave your drink unattended, especially when talking, dancing,
using the
toilet or making a phone call;
7.Don't drink anything that has an unusual taste or appearance,
like a "salty" taste or
unexplained residue;
8.If you realise that your drink has been left unattended, discard
it;
9.Don't mix drugs and alcohol; when drugs are mixed with alcohol,
the results can be
lethal.
Jamie
O'Connell
