"ROHYPNOL" One of the major problems in this century is date rape; this phenomenon has become more important everyday. The surprise is that there is an astonishingly high rate of date rape on college campuses. In some places 25 to 50 percent of all under graduate females have been victims of date rape. Most of the victims are woman that trust their date. Studies show that now woman are being drugged with the so-called "roofie" a dose that a man uses to consume his attack on a woman.
Scary Truth about date rape Today, the use of Rohypnol is one of the fastest growing drug problems in both areas. It is an inexpensive drug ranging from $2 to $3 per pill, and it attracts young users. The trauma caused by a date rape can be more devastating than a rape committed by a stranger (Teen, p.72). The main side effect of the drug is a memory loss of 4-10hrs.
Panamanian motor vessel Gatun during the largest d...
A field of opium poppies in Burma.
CIA Map of International drug pipelinesDuring which time a person can be rendered helpless. Rohypnol is now the "date rape" drug of choice this is scary to think about you never know what is in your drink therefore, you always have to be on the look out. The average woman who report having black outs are about 20-25% they report that they have been drugged. Rohypnol has been found to be physically addictive, and it does have bad withdrawals.
What is a "roffie" This pill can be obtained as easy as buying candy. It is smuggle from the frontier of Mexico to the United States. The official name of this date rape drug is "Rohypnol" known as "Roffie". The company who manufactured this drug is, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., a Swiss company whose American affiliate is Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. The purpose of this drug is to be used as a sedative (prescription for insomnia). It is legal on the State of Mexico and Colombia but not in the United States. Used now for the purpose of drug abuse in Universities and High schools. It is more effective when the drug has been taken with alcohol. This drug is slipped in the drinks of young woman. The effect that this drug gives to a person who has taken it without knowing consists of blackouts and amnesia. It was first detected in the State of Florida where many students of Universities started using it just for fun. It became more obsessive when it was given to woman for the purpose of rape. The consequence of this is that the female would have insomnia and she did not know if she had been raped or not.
What does a Roffie look like? The appearance of this pill is very small just like an aspirin, white, and odorless being ten times as powerful as Valium (Lively, p29). It can be dropped into the victims drink without their knowledge, causing them to pass out. Since a woman cannot taste any difference in her drink she does not think twice about consuming the beverage and after thirty minutes or so the effects start the kick in. at this time the male is aware of her condition and takes advantage of it.
What happens when you take Rohypnol? Rohypnol intoxication is generally associated with impaired judgment and impaired motor skills and can make a victim unable to resist a sexual attack. The combination of alcohol and Rohypnol is also particularly hazardous because together, their effects on memory and judgment are greater than the effects resulting from either taken alone. Effects begin within thirty minutes, peak within two hours, and can persist for up to eight hours. It is commonly reported that persons who become intoxicated on a combination of alcohol and Rohypnol have "blackouts" lasting eight to twenty-four hours following ingestion. Losing your social inhibitions is another widely reported effect of Rohypnol, when taken alone or in combination with alcohol (U.S Dept of Health Services, pg 45). Adverse effects of Rohypnol use include, decreased blood pressure, memory impairment, drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, visual disturbance, gastrointestinal disturbances and urinary retention. Rohypnol is used mostly as an enhanced drug, which means that it is taken to enhance the effects of another drug. One's health risks increase with the consumption of alcohol, which can lead to death or coma.
How do I know if I have been drugged? Since this drug was not known by the D.E.A. it was hard to identify what was given to any of the woman that came forward. Therefore, there were many tests given to the victim. To their surprise they found that the drug used was Rohypnol. Because the drugs are difficult to detect, one should never leave their drink unattended. If your drink tastes salty or bitter, you should dispose of it immediately. If you feel drunker than what you should be, or you become extremely tired or drowsy, tell someone you trust, and get to a safe place. An important thing to remember is if you think this has happened to you, and you want to report it, you shouldn't shower or change your clothes, just go straight to the emergency room, where they can test you for the drug (Seligman & king,39).
How can we prevent this unlawful behavior? To prevent this drug from the hands of a rapist the former president of the United States signed a law against this Date- Rape pill. This law provides a 20 year sentence for the use of an illegal drug as a tool of rape or other violent crime or for the possession, manufacture or distribution of an illegal drug with intent to use in the commission of a violent crime (Mortality weekly report,13). But is not just a matter of signing a law against this drug but it is issues of what can someone do to prevent getting raped and show what males must learn about this acquaintance rape.
CONCLUSION Rohypnol is the number one widely used date rape drug and there are things you should know about protecting yourself as well as others. So please remember that these drugs are out there, and anyone can become a victim. The best thing to do is to be very cautious about what you drink and above all don't always trust your date if you do not know him.
Rohypnol
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