DATE RAPE DRUGS

Drug facilitated rape is not a new phenomena; however, the use of “date rape drugs” to facilitate sexual assault has increased in recent years. In 1996, a federal law known as the Drug Inducted Rape Prevention and Punishment Act was created in response to the growing threat. A date rape drug is any substance used to facilitate sexual assault, including alcohol, which is involved in up to 90 percent of all sexual assaults. While few people consider alcohol to be a date rape drug, having sex with a person too incapacitated to give consent is considered rape. It is not uncommon in social situations to hear a person suggest he or she will “get lucky” with an individual who is drunk.

Perpetrators of sexual assault may use date rape drugs for a number of reasons. They may seek to incapacitate a victim, impair a victim’s judgment and impulse control. A perpetrator might also use date rape drugs to damage a victim’s credibility, hinder a victim’s memory of the assault, or to excuse the perpetrators responsibility for the sexual assault.

Symptoms 

Victims who have been drugged often describe the following symptoms:

• Feeling as though the victim’s arms and legs are paralyzed or full of sand; wanting to move, scream, or push away the perpetrator but being unable to do so.
• Partial memories of the sexual assault; fading in and out of consciousness.
• Symptoms of extreme hangover; headaches, nausea, and vomiting.
• Vaginal itching, burning, or pain; a feeling as though the victim has had sex with no memory of the event.

A victim who believes he or she may have ingested date rape drugs should seek medical attention and ask that they be tested immediately. Some date rape drugs can stay in the blood for four to eight hours and in the urine for up to 72 hours. Testing for date rape drugs also includes for marijuana, opiates, and alcohol.

Common Date Rape Drugs

 Rohypnol      Ketamine      GHB        Other Date Rape Drugs

Source:www.bvcasa.org

KETAMINE Street Names: Special K, Vitamin K, Kit kat, K. Appearance: Clear or yellow-tinted liquid that may be contained in small vials usually having a white and yellow label. Also appears in white powder form, similar to cocaine. Odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Ingested: Intramuscular or intravenous injection or oral ingestion. Effects appear in 4-5 minutes and last 45 minutes to an hour. Symptoms: Hallucinations, visual disorders, numbing, loss of sense and time, loss of balance, lowered heart rate, possible loss of consciousness, overdose may be fatal. Important Facts: A popular animal sedative often stolen from veterinary clinics. Eating or drinking while using Ketamine may induce vomiting. Comparatively rare, but has gained popularity as a "club drug."

Other Date Rape Drugs Other drugs may be used to facilitate sexual assault. Some of these include ecstasy, a popular club drug; "thunder," similar to GHB; cigarettes or marijuana joints soaked in formaldehyde; and over-the-counter or prescription medications including anti-anxiety drugs, antihistamines, muscle relaxants, sedatives, and hypnotics. Examples include Xanax, Valium, and Benedryl.

What You Can Do to Protect Yourself

Students may ask what they can do to protect themselves from becoming victims of drug-facilitated sexual assault. The following are some common suggestions:

• Carefully monitor your intake of alcohol and drugs.
• Ask a friend to keep an eye on you, and do the same for him or her.
• Pour and open your own drinks or watch them being made by the bartender.
• Keep your drink with you and covered at all times. GHB can be dispensed from an eyedropper, and some substances come in tablets smaller than an aspirin. Taking an eye off your drink even for a moment can be dangerous.
• If it looks, smells, or tastes strange, do not drink, eat, or smoke it.
• Know that you are at risk! Most perpetrators of drug-facilitated sexual assault are friends or acquaintances of the victim. Even drinking with individuals you regard as “safe” can increase your risk.

home | report incident | links | contact us