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Rohypnol: What is it?
Rohypnol is the brand name of flunitrazepam, and is a part of the benzodiazepine class of drugs, of which ‘Valium’ or diazepam is perhaps the best known. It is 10 times more potent than diazepam. The drug is not legally available in the US, but is in some countries of Europe and Mexico. In the UK it is only available on private prescription, and it is illegal to possess it without one, being a class C drug.
It rose to prominence as the date rape drug because it was colourless, odourless and tasteless - ideal for spiking drinks undetected - and causes sedation or euphoria in approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Several cases report the drug being given to women without their consent in order to remove their inhibitions.
However, Hoffman-Roche, the company that manufactures the drug, revised the formula in January 1998 to make it easier to detect. It now contains a blue dye that will appear when it is added to any drink, and it is slower to dissolve. Counterfeit versions of the drug have been reported in the US which do not have these added features.
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Why is it used?
The drug has a number of legal and illegal uses. It is used in the short-term treatment of sleep disorders, but has been abused for more sinister purposes. It has been implicated in several date rape cases in the US, although there is no confirmed case of it being used in sexual assault cases in the UK.
Ravers use the drug because of the its euphoric and relaxing effects. The effects last for about eight hours but it can take over 24 hours for its ‘hangover’ effect to disappear. Street names for Rohypnol include rophies, ropies, ruffies, roofies, roche, R-2, mexican valium, rib, and rope. Users report mixing it with beer to enhance the feeling of drunkenness, and it has been reported to be used in combination with marijuana and cocaine, as well as heroin.
It is also used to ease the come down from a cocaine or crack binge, according to RaveSafe, a drugs information service. However, it is the drug's use in date rape cases that has led to its notoriety.
Top
What are the risks?
When combined with alcohol, Rohypnol can make users shed their inhibitions. They can also suffer from loss of memory. It has been labelled the date rapist's drug of choice. Amnesia can set in within a short time of ingesting the drug, and the disinhibiting effects kick in soon after. Someone who has taken the drug unwittingly is unlikely to remember what happened while they were under the influence. The journal report continues: "Due to the amnesic effects of flunitrazepam, historical clues of the rape event are difficult to obtain.
"Patients with a complaint of sexual assault who appear intoxicated or have anterograde amnesia should be suspected of unknowingly ingesting flunitrazepam."
It also recommends doctors perform a urine test specifically for the drug, but this needs to be done within 72 hours of the assault to successfully detect traces of flunitrazepam.
Another drug, gamma-hydroxybutryate (GHB) is also reported to have been used to incapacitate victims in order to sexually abuse them. The effects of GHB are similar to those of Rohypnol - dizziness, confusion and memory loss. It is colourless and odourless. It is most commonly found in liquid form and is also known as liquid X or g-juice. It was once sold in health food stores to bodybuilders, but was pulled off the market in 1990 because of its bad side effects.
However, a US study in 1997, and continued evidence from UK statistics, shows that alcohol remains the substance most frequently associated with substance-assisted sexual assault.
Top
What are the recommendations?
A report in the Academic Emergency Medicine journal says that counterfeit products are hard to detect. It says: "Flunitrazepam readily dissolves, and once in solution, is colourless, odourless, and tasteless. "The predominant clinical manifestations are drowsiness, impaired motor skills, and anterograde amnesia."
There is an agent that reverses the effects of Rohypnol. It is a benzodiazepine antagonist called ‘Romazicon’ or flumazenil, and is used for reversing the severe effects of overdose. However, it needs to be administered by a doctor as it is an injection.
The best advice to avoid being spiked is to trust no one. Counsellors say anyone who feels at risk should never accept any opened drink, particularly not from a stranger. Tamper-proof bottles or cans are recommended. They should not be opened by someone else.
Rohypnol is the brand name of flunitrazepam, and is a part of the benzodiazepine class of drugs, of which ‘Valium’ or diazepam is perhaps the best known. It is 10 times more potent than diazepam. The drug is not legally available in the US, but is in some countries of Europe and Mexico. In the UK it is only available on private prescription, and it is illegal to possess it without one, being a class C drug.
It rose to prominence as the date rape drug because it was colourless, odourless and tasteless - ideal for spiking drinks undetected - and causes sedation or euphoria in approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Several cases report the drug being given to women without their consent in order to remove their inhibitions.
However, Hoffman-Roche, the company that manufactures the drug, revised the formula in January 1998 to make it easier to detect. It now contains a blue dye that will appear when it is added to any drink, and it is slower to dissolve. Counterfeit versions of the drug have been reported in the US which do not have these added features.
Top
Why is it used?
The drug has a number of legal and illegal uses. It is used in the short-term treatment of sleep disorders, but has been abused for more sinister purposes. It has been implicated in several date rape cases in the US, although there is no confirmed case of it being used in sexual assault cases in the UK.
Ravers use the drug because of the its euphoric and relaxing effects. The effects last for about eight hours but it can take over 24 hours for its ‘hangover’ effect to disappear. Street names for Rohypnol include rophies, ropies, ruffies, roofies, roche, R-2, mexican valium, rib, and rope. Users report mixing it with beer to enhance the feeling of drunkenness, and it has been reported to be used in combination with marijuana and cocaine, as well as heroin.
It is also used to ease the come down from a cocaine or crack binge, according to RaveSafe, a drugs information service. However, it is the drug's use in date rape cases that has led to its notoriety.
Top
What are the risks?
When combined with alcohol, Rohypnol can make users shed their inhibitions. They can also suffer from loss of memory. It has been labelled the date rapist's drug of choice. Amnesia can set in within a short time of ingesting the drug, and the disinhibiting effects kick in soon after. Someone who has taken the drug unwittingly is unlikely to remember what happened while they were under the influence. The journal report continues: "Due to the amnesic effects of flunitrazepam, historical clues of the rape event are difficult to obtain.
"Patients with a complaint of sexual assault who appear intoxicated or have anterograde amnesia should be suspected of unknowingly ingesting flunitrazepam."
It also recommends doctors perform a urine test specifically for the drug, but this needs to be done within 72 hours of the assault to successfully detect traces of flunitrazepam.
Another drug, gamma-hydroxybutryate (GHB) is also reported to have been used to incapacitate victims in order to sexually abuse them. The effects of GHB are similar to those of Rohypnol - dizziness, confusion and memory loss. It is colourless and odourless. It is most commonly found in liquid form and is also known as liquid X or g-juice. It was once sold in health food stores to bodybuilders, but was pulled off the market in 1990 because of its bad side effects.
However, a US study in 1997, and continued evidence from UK statistics, shows that alcohol remains the substance most frequently associated with substance-assisted sexual assault.
Top
What are the recommendations?
A report in the Academic Emergency Medicine journal says that counterfeit products are hard to detect. It says: "Flunitrazepam readily dissolves, and once in solution, is colourless, odourless, and tasteless. "The predominant clinical manifestations are drowsiness, impaired motor skills, and anterograde amnesia."
There is an agent that reverses the effects of Rohypnol. It is a benzodiazepine antagonist called ‘Romazicon’ or flumazenil, and is used for reversing the severe effects of overdose. However, it needs to be administered by a doctor as it is an injection.
The best advice to avoid being spiked is to trust no one. Counsellors say anyone who feels at risk should never accept any opened drink, particularly not from a stranger. Tamper-proof bottles or cans are recommended. They should not be opened by someone else.