Sex Drugs and Date Rape Drugs:
Rohypnol, GHB, and GHB Analogs
What are“sex drugs”?
Rohypnol and GHB (Gamma-HydroxyButyerate) are presciption drugs which have crossed into the realm of illicit use.
These two drugs, along with the GHB analogs (drugs which produce similar effects) have been implicated in dozens of reported cases of rape. The drugs are slipped into victims' drinks, and within minutes they become defenseless to sexual assault and have little or no memory of events the next day.
Law enforcement and antidrug activist groups now routinely refer to these as "predatory drugs" because of the vicious and criminal way they are being used.
Date Rape Drugs
Rohypnol and GHB have been a concern for the last few years because of their abuses as "date rape" drugs.
People may unknowingly be given the drug which, when mixed with alcohol, can incapacitate a victim and prevent them from resisting sexual assault.
Both drugs can be extremely dangerous or even lethal when mixed with alcohol and/or other depressants, depending on dosage and sensitivity of the victim or user.
Only 10 minutes after ingesting Rohypnol, for exmaple, a person may feel dizzy, disoriented, too hot or cold and nauseated. They may also have a difficult time speaking and eventually, the victim will pass out. The person will then have no recollection of the events that occurred.
Within a few moments of slipping GHB into a victim's drink (usually alcohol), the victim will appear drunk and helpless.
In most date rape cases, the perpetrator will become a good Samaritan and offer to escort the victim home. When the victim regains consciousness, he or she has no memory of the events.
Drugs and alcohol sexual assault in colleges
The dangers and realities of sexual assault are exacerbated when drugs and alcohol become involved. Alcohol and drugs can inhibit resistance, increase aggression and impair decision-making skills. Sexual assault and acquaintance rape are types of violence that are most likely to occur in social settings that foster rape-supportive attitudes and norms.
A study published in the Journal of Sex Education and Therapy reported that of those students who had been victims of some type of sexual aggression while in college -- from rape to intimidation to illegal restraint -- 68 percent of their male assailants had been drinking at the time of the attack. Alcohol and drug use exaggerates problems with misinterpretation of sexual intent and can be used to justify assault.
Studies show that many college men believe that alcohol increases arousal and legitimates non-consensual aggression. They also report that many college men believe that women who had two or more drinks are more interested than other women in having sex.
Congress passes “Rape Pevention Law”
Because of concern about Rohypnol, GHB, and other similarly abused sedative-hypnotics, Congress passed the "Drug-Induced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act of 1996" in October 1996. This legislation increased Federal penalties for use of any controlled substance to aid in sexual assault.
On February 18, 2000, the "Hillory J. Farias and Samantha Reid Date-Rape Prohibition Act of 1999" (Public Law 106-172) was signed into law, legislating GHB as a Schedule I controlled substance.
GBL, one of the popular GHB analogs, was also regulated under this law as a List I controlled chemical. Illicit use of GHB analogs may now be prosecuted as Schedule I substances under 21 U.S. Code § 813.
What is Rohypnol?
Rohypnol, the trade name for flunitrazepam, is a sleeping pill marketed by Roche Pharmaceuticals. On the street it is often call roofies, roche, R-2, rib and rope. The drug is a very potent tranquilizer similar to Valium, but much, much stronger.
Rohypnol produces a sedative effect, amnesia, muscle relaxation and a slowing of psychomotor responses.
The drug is often distributed on the street in its bubble packaging which makes it appear legitimate and legal. Rohypnol is reportedly sold for $2.00 to $4.00 per tablet.
Illicit use of Rohypnol was first reported in Europe in the late 1970's. Rohypnol is not approved for use in the United States and its importation is banned. Police sources in Florida and Texas reported first seeing roofies in the United States in the early 1990's.
Mixing "roofies" with alcohol can be very dangerous and may cause respiratory depression, aspiration and possibly death.
Rohypnol's sedative-hypnotic effects include muscle relaxation and amnesia. But it can also produce physical and psychological dependence. In Miami, one of the first sites of Rohypnol abuse, poison control centers report an increase in withdrawal seizures among people addicted to Rohypnol.
Clonazepam (Klonopin, Rivotril) is similar
Another very similar drug is now being sold as "roofies" in Miami, Minnesota, and Texas. This is clonazepam, marketed in the U.S. as Klonopin and in Mexico as Rivotril. It is sometimes abused to enhance the effects of heroin and other opiates. Based on emergency room admission information, Boston, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Seattle appear to have the highest use rates of clonazepam.
Side-effects of Rohypnol
The Rohypnol effects begin approximately 20-30 minutes after taking the drug and peak within two hours. Depending on the dosage, the effects usually last up to 8 hours.
The side effects of Rohypnol are:
- Decreased blood pressure
- Black outs
- Loss of memory
- Sedation Tiredness
- Muscle relaxation
- Problems with vision
- Disorientation
- Dizziness and confusion
- Nausea
- Nervousness
- Disinhibition
- Aggressive behavior
- Fearlessness
What is GHB?
Originally developed as an anesthetic, GHB is a naturally occurring 4-carbon molecule sold in powdered, liquid or capsule form. It's chemical name is gamma-hydroxyutyerate.
On the street GHB can be known as: G, Liquid X, Liquid E, Scoop, Soap, Gook, Grievous Bodily Harm, Georgia Home Boy, Natural Sleep-500, Easy Lay or Gamma 10. It usually is tasteless, but may be recognized at times by a salty taste.
GHB was formerly sold by health-food stores and gyms as a sleep aid, anabolic agent, fat burner, enhancer of muscle definition and natural psychedelic. GHB was first synthesized in 1960 by a French researcher. It has been used in Europe as a general anesthetic, a treatment for insomnia and narcolepsy, an aid to childbirth and a treatment for alcoholism and alcohol withdrawal syndrome.
In the last few years it has been gaining popularity as a recreational drug offering an alcohol-like, hangover free high with possible prosexual effects (disinhibition often occurs and inhibitions are suppressed).
Since 1990, GHB has been abused in the U.S. for euphoric, sedative, and anabolic (body building) effects. As with Rohypnol and clonazepam, GHB has been associated with sexual assault in cities throughout the country.
Reports from Detroit indicate liquid GHB is being used in nightclubs for effects similar to those of Rohypnol. It is also common in the club scene in Phoenix, Honolulu, and Texas, where it is known as "liquid ecstacy," "somatomax," "scoop," or "grievous bodily harm." In Miami, poison control center calls have reflected problems associated with increased GHB use, including loss of consciousness. In New York City, there have been reports of GHB use among those in the fashion industry. In Atlanta, it is commonly used as a synthetic steroid at fitness centers and gyms.
Coma and seizures can occur following abuse of GHB and, when combined with methamphetamine, there appears to be an increased risk of seizure. Combining use with other drugs such as alcohol can result in nausea and difficulty breathing. GHB may also produce withdrawal effects, including insomnia, anxiety, tremors, and sweating.
What are GHB Analogs?
GHB analogs are drugs which are metabolized in the body to produce similar effects as GHB. GHB analogs often are abused in place of GHB or are used to produce GHB.
Common GHB analogs include:
GBL
- gamma-butyrolactone
- furonone di-hydro
- dihydrofuranone
BD
- 1,4-butanediol
- tetramethylene glycol
- sucol-B
- butylene glycol
GHV
- gamma-hydroxyvalerate
- methyl-GHB
GVL
- gamma-valerolactone
- 4-pentanolide
Both GBL and BD metabolize into GHB upon ingestion. GBL is the most common precursor used in the production of GHB. GVL is abused in place of GHB because it metabolizes into GHV, which produces physiological effects similar to GHB.
A major problem is that GHB analogs are readily available as components of other products. Some GHB analog abusers begin consuming dietary supplements believing the claims made by manufacturers, and then find themselves addicted to the product. Often users are unaware that they are consuming an analog and mistakenly believe that the substance they are ingesting is GHB.
GHB analogs typically are abused in place of GHB by users who want to experience the effects associated with GHB and who find the analogs more widely available or easily obtained.
What are the effects of GHB?
GHB side-effects are usually felt within 5 to 20 minutes after ingestion and they usually last no more than two to three hours. The effects of GHB are unpredictable and very dose-dependent.
Sleep paralysis, agitation, delusions and hallucination have all been reported. Other effects include excessive salivation, decreased gag reflex and vomiting in 30 to 50 percent of users. Dizziness may occur for up to two weeks post ingestion.
GHB can cause severe reactions when combined with alcohol, benzodiazepines, opiates, anticonvulsant and allergy remedies.
In November 1990, the Food and Drug Administration issues a warning that GHB can cause seizures, coma, respiratory arrest and death, especially when mixed with alcoholic beverages.
Side-effects of GHB
The side-effects of GHB are:
- Abrupt, intense drowsiness
- Decreased body temperature
- Vomiting
- Slower, deep respiration
- Giddiness, silliness and dizziness
- Temporary amnesia
- Interference with mobility and verbal coherence
- Diarrhea
- Semi-consciousness
- Seizure
- Decreased heart rate
- Coma
- Sleep-walking
- Death
Sources: Drug Enforcement Administration Dept. of Health and Human Services / SAMHSA