The Drug Rohypnol and Rape
On the night I was raped, someone slipped 4 mgs of rohypnol or "roofies," into my drink. I had gone to a popular club in downtown Gainesville with my roommate and we ordered 3 mixed drinks over the period of about an hour. We were VERY careful holding our drinks the entire time and never letting them out of our sight...still, it happened.
Being drugged and then raped adds another whole dynamic to the issues a victim deals with in the aftermath. Of all the memories I have of that night, one of the absolute worst is waking up in total darkness, not knowing where I was or who the man was that laid on top of me. The shock is impossible to describe...I still wake up in a panic sometimes, worried that I won't recognize my surroundings.
Other victims often describe their own experiences and ask me if I "think it sounds like they were drugged." The best advice I can give anyone is to trust your own instincts - no one knows your body better than you. If you can usually handle a few drinks with just a little buzz but this time you have blackouts, loss of motor function, and complete lapses of memory, that probably isn't normal. A drug test for rohypnol can be done, but it must be done within 48 hours and is not a test the hospitals typically run (because of cost) so you have to ask for it specifically.
More Information About the Drug:
Rohypnol is a brand name for Flunitrazepam, which belongs to the family of medications called "Benzodiazepines." It is very potent, being 10 times more potent than Valium. It has many common street names like: Roofies, Roachies, La Roche, Rope, Rib, Roche, Rophies, Ruffies and Stupefi.
It is becoming well know as a club scene drug used mostly by young people. It is an illegal drug in America and sold or prescribed in Europe and South America. It comes in 1mg and 2mg strengths, manufactured by Hoffman-La Roche.
Rohypnol can be slipped easily into the drink of an unsuspecting sexual assault victim by an assailant. The result is that the victim remembers nothing of the sexual assault or it maybe they knew something was happening but were incapable of stopping it. Mixing Rohypnol with alcohol intensifies its effects several fold. It is reportedly given to female party guests in hopes of lowering inhibitions and making them an easy potential sexual conquest.
Rohypnol taken on it's own produces sedative effects, including amnesia, muscle relaxation, and the slowing of psychomotor performance. Sedation occurs anything from 10 to 30 minutes after administration of a 2-mg tablet and lasts for approximately 8 hours. Mixed with alcohol in which it quickly dissolves a 2mg dose in one beer can put a girl flat on her back in a state of oblivion, to waken the next morning with no memories of the previous night, wondering what happened to her.
Rohypnol, particularly when it is mixed with alcohol or any other drugs, cannabis, cocaine and heroin in particular may lead to respiratory depression, aspiration and even death. When taken repeatedly, in can lead to physical and psychological dependence which is thought to increase with both the dose and duration of use. Rohypnol is usually sold in its original bubble packaging, conveying a sense of legality and security in its use.
Reports of feeling hung over, feeling drowsy, confused and still drunk the next day have been noted. It is a very dangerous drug, especially if it is used without your knowledge.
Rohypnol is being called the date rape drug because of it's prominence in rape situations. Often these cases aren't reported because the victims may have fragmented memories which aren't clear. A drug specific test can be performed by a hospital lab to see if traces can be found. The big disadvantage here besides the cost, is it must be done within 2 and a half days of the event happening.
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