Women's Safety: Sexual Assault/Rape
Rohypnol: The Date Rape Drug
Rohypnol (flunitrazepam)
has rapidly become a popular and easily accessible "date
rape drug" in the United States. It is known by several
street names: Roachies, La Roche, Rope, Rib, Roche, Rophies,
Roofies, Ruffies, Mexican valium, or the "forget (me)
pill."
It is especially
a problem on college campuses and on the club/ rave scene.
Rohypnol is famous
for causing memory "blackouts," periods of memory
loss that follow ingestion of the drug with alcohol. Women
who have been raped with Rohypnol have reported waking up in
strange rooms, with or without clothing, sometimes with a used
condom on the bed, occasionally with strange bruises... but
they have no memory of the previous night.
Typical
Scenario:
Rohypnol is a small
white pill that, once dropped into a victim's drink, dissolve
rapidly. The drug readily dissolved in either alcoholic or
non-alcoholic drinks. The drug is odorless and tasteless. Initially,
Rohypnol causes muscle relaxation, slows psychomotor responses,
and lowers inhibitions. Victims describe this as a feeling
of being "drunk." Rohypnol takes 20-30 minutes to
take effect. When combined with alcohol, Rohypnol causes severe
dis- orientation and the classic "blackouts." Blackout
periods are typically 8-12 hours long. The victim may or may
not appear "awake" during this time. Victims often
feel nauseous the day after they have received Rohypnol.
Other
Important Information:
Rohypnol is especially
dangerous because it is inexpensive; a tablet may only cost
$1.25 to $5. This makes it popular in high schools, college
campuses, clubs, bars, and at private parties.
Rohypnol can be
found in every part of the United States, even in rural areas.
The drug is most common in the southern and eastern parts of
the country, where there have been several widely reported
seizures and rape cases. However, There have also been reports
in college newspapers from the Midwest and northern states,
and that Rohypnol has found its way here, to the Pacific Northwest.
The primary manufacturer
of Rohypnol (the ones who coined the brand name) is Hoffman
La Roche, a Swiss pharmaceutical company. They make 1 mg and
2 mg tablets that look much like a small aspirin. Hoffman is
beginning to make new Rohypnol tablets that don't dissolve
as well in water- however, there is still a large stock of
the "old" product on the market. "Copycat" tablets
are being produced by pharmaceutical companies in South America
and possibly Egypt. These tablets may be reddish-brown instead
of white. These tablets dissolve well in water.
