Date rape drugs are substances which cause a victim to pass out so they cannot resist what is being done, and they will not be able to recall what happened to them either. Most date rape drugs are colorless, odorless and tasteless or have taste that can be masked so that they can easily be slipped into a victims drink without the victim noticing. Two of the most commonly used date rape drugs are Rohypnol and GHB. There are also many drugs out there which mimic the effects of these two drugs. These drugs were initially used as recreational drugs at clubs and raves, but soon became used to incapacitate victims for the purpose of sexual assault. In most cases the victim will have no memory of what happened, but will have the physical symptoms of having sexual intercourse. Sometimes the victim will intermittently wake up during the assault and have partial memories of it. Either way, the victim usually wakes up very confused and simply assumes that they had had too much to drink and blacked out. Rape victims where date rape drugs were used are even less likely to report the crime than other rape victims. They often feel responsible because they feel as if they simply drank too much, and they can't remember anything that actually happened. The effects of the drugs can also last for a few days after the assault, which causes the victim to not be able to think clearly. By the time they do think to report what happened all of the evidence might be gone making the crime extremely difficult to prosecute. In 1996 the Drug Induced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act was passed to try to combat the use of these date rape drugs. This makes it a felony to give a controlled substance to anyone with the intent of committing sexual assault or any other crime. People convicted of rape using a date rape drug may be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and people simply possessing Rohypnol or other date rape drugs can be sentenced to up to 3 years.

Below is some information on the some date rape drugs such as Rohypnol and GHB including chemical and street names, the methods of use and the effects they can have.

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Chemical Name - Flunitrazepam
Street names - Roofies, Roach, R-2, Mind Erasers, Roche', Stupifi, Shays
Description - Rohypnol usually comes in the form of pills
Use - Tablets of Rohypnol are ingested orally, usually in a drink. After being slipped into the drink Rohypnol leaves no detectable taste, color or odor, and will take effect between 15 minutes and 1 hour.
Effects - Rohypnol causes visual disturbance, drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, motion difficulty, respiratory depression and amnesia. The effects can last for up to 8 hours after ingestion.

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Chemical Name - Gamma-hydroxybutyrate, gamma-hydroxy-butyramine, gamma hydroxybutyric acid
Street names - GHB, Liquid Ecstasy, Liquid X, Grievous Bodily Harm, GBH, Georgia Home Boy, Grievous Bodily Harm, Liquid G, Somatomax, Cherry Meth, Easy Lay, Gamma 10
Description - GHB is a clear odorless liquid that has a salty taste to it.
Use - GHB is put into a drink which will mask the salty taste it has.
Effects - GHB usually takes effect within 15 minutes of ingestion and its effects can last for several hours after ingestion depending on the dosage. The effects include decreased inhibitions, drowsiness, deep unresponsive sleep, respiratory arrest, nausea, convulsions, amnesia and loss of consciousness. When mixed with alcohol GHB can cause the cenral nervous system to shut down and can result in a coma or even death.

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Chemical Name - Ketaset, Vetalar
Street names - Special K, Ket, K, Vitamin K, Kit Kat, Keller, Cat Valium, Purple, Super C
Description - Ketamine comes in the form of a liquid, a powder or a tablet.
Use - Ketamine can come in a powder form which resembles cocaine, or in a liquid form. The powder form can be snorted, mixed into drinks or smoked. The liquid form can be injected, applied to smokable materials or mixed into a drink.
Effects - Ketamine can distort the sense of balance, time judgement and ability to communicate, cause blurred vision, numbness, disorientation, trembling, hallucinations, amnesia, convulsions, respiratory depression and loss of consciousness. The effects typically last for an hour although it is not uncommon for them to last for 4 - 6 hours. Users generally don't fully recover from the drug for 48 hours.

1. Don't go out by yourself, and keep an eye on your friends when you do go out.
2. Never leave your drink unattended.
3. Don't accept drinks that you didn't see made.
4. These drugs dissolve in non-alcoholic beverages as well as alcoholic ones.
5. Don't share or exchange drinks.
6. Don't take drinks from large open containers.
7. If you are in a conversation where your attention may be averted, put your hand over your drink.
8. If you feel like you are becoming severely intoxicated after only 1 or 2 drinks then get help.
9. Beware if someone wants you to go outside to get some fresh air, especially if it is someone you have just met.

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Page Last Modified: Thursday, February 20, 2003