In the late 1980s, I had a summer job at a sexual assault crisis center. One of my duties was to enter files of sexual assault victims into a database. While I remember some women saying they were drunk at the time their assault occurred (and indeed, alcohol continues to be a date rape "drug," with some statistics saying that 50% of women raped by acquaintances reported being drunk at the time), none reported having been drugged. But since the late 1990s, things have changed:
Stories similar to the above excerpts are seen regularly in the media in communities in the United States, Canada, and abroad. Of course, despite the use of the term "date rape drug," rape is not always the (only) result of ingesting the substance – it may be hospitalization or death.
In the United States, as cited above, some estimates place cases of Rohypnol-induced sexual assault alone at 5,000 for the year 2003. However, numbers are difficult to establish for many reasons, including: a lack of reporting mechanisms; because these drugs impair memory; because the drugs may no longer be in a victim's system once an assault is reported; and because sexual assaults are generally underreported (it is estimated that two to six times more rapes occur than are actually reported). In Canada, according to a study published in the November/December 2004 issue of the Canadian Journal of Public Health, not only have drug-facilitated sexual assaults increased in the past decade, but more than one in four hospital-reported sexual assaults were drug-facilitated. Overall, in both the United States and Canada, incidents are concentrated among high school, college, and university students.
The Usual Suspects
The two main date rape drugs are Rohypnol and GHB, but ketamine is also sometimes used.
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Rohypnol, or flunitrazepam (also known as roofies, forget-me pill, Mexican valium, mind erasers, etc.) – This is a benzodiazepine (central nervous system depressant) like Valium, but 10 times more potent. Rohypnol is a tasteless and odorless drug that comes in pill form and can be dissolved in liquid. It is widely available in Europe, Mexico, and Colombia, but is neither manufactured nor approved for sale in the United States or in Canada. Illicit use of Rohypnol began in the 1970s in Europe and appeared in the United States in the early 1990s. Much of the concern surrounding Rohypnol is its abuse as a date rape drug, for as the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
explains: "Rohypnol can incapacitate victims and prevent them from resisting sexual assault. It can produce 'anterograde amnesia,' which means individuals may not remember events they experienced while under the effects of the drug. Also, Rohypnol may be lethal when mixed with alcohol and/or other depressants."
• GHB, or gamma hydroxybutyrate (also known as liquid ecstasy, liquid X, soap, Grievous Bodily Harm, easy lay, etc.) – This is a central nervous system depressant, and according to NIDA, it was widely available in the US in health food stores during the 1980s, but non-prescription sales were banned in 1990. The drug takes effect within about 15 minutes of ingestion and, depending on dose, can last several hours. Aside from decreasing inhibitions and causing drowsiness, it can cause nausea, numbness, convulsions, and respiratory arrest. This drug comes as a liquid, pill, or powder, and has a salty or soapy taste, but fruity or flavored drinks or alcohol can mask the taste.
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Ketamine, or ketamine hydrochloride (also known as special K, K, kit-kat, etc.) – This drug was derived from phencyclidine (PCP) in the 1960s for use as a dissociative anesthetic, and causes anesthesia without respiratory depression. It is a white powder, and is often used as an animal tranquilizer. The effects of this drug appear rapidly, and include a dissociative state leading to floating/out-of-body experiences and hallucinations. According to an
article by Dr. Paul M. Gahlinger, on the
American Academy of Family Physicians' website, other common effects include: "… confusion, anterograde amnesia, and delirium. They also may experience tachycardia, palpitations, hypertension, and respiratory depression with apnea. 'Flashbacks' or visual disturbances can be experienced days or weeks after ingestion."
Other substances implicated in unwanted sexual activity, in addition to alcohol itself, are marijuana, benzodiazepines, cocaine, heroin, and amphetamines.
What can you do to minimize risk?
Since these drugs can be slipped into soft drinks as well as alcoholic beverages, being a teetotaler won't necessarily save you. In order to minimize risk:
• Don't accept drinks from strangers.
• Don't accept drinks you haven't opened yourself.
• Don't accept drinks coming from large, open containers, such as punch bowls.
• Drink bottled or canned drinks, and when you hold the drink, hold it with your thumb over the opening.
• If you are drinking something out of a glass, hold it from the top, with your hand arched over the mouth of the glass.
• Don't leave drinks unattended.
• If you think your drink may have been tampered with, don't drink it – pour it out.
• Keep an eye on yourself and friends for any changes in behavior, particularly if you or they appear to be much more intoxicated than expected, given the alcohol consumed. It's a good idea to have your designated driver doing double duty watching out for everyone.
• If you think you've been drugged, go to the hospital with a friend, family member, or the police. (And if you can, keep the beverage for analysis.)
