Date rape drugs are used to incapacitate another person and make them vulnerable to an attack. The attack could be a sexual assault, a robbery, or a physical assault. When someone is given a date rape drug and then assaulted, it is called a drug-facilitated assault. Date rape drugs are usually slipped into someone’s drink without their knowledge or consent. Within minutes, the person becomes so disoriented, confused, weak, and disabled that they cannot protest an assault or defend themselves against attack.

These drugs are sometimes called “club drugs” because they are commonly used to disable someone at a club, concert, or rave. Date rape drugs come in liquid or powder form and slipping them into a drink takes only seconds. After the drug wears off, the person may remember nothing about what happened while they were under the influence of the drug.

What Are Some Common Date Rape Drugs?

The most commonly used date rape drugs are Rohypnol, GHB, and Ketamine.

What Is Rohypnol?

Flunitrazepam, brand name Rohyphol, is a fast-acting benzodiazepine. The effects are similar to those of Valium, but ten times stronger. Some forms of Rohypnol turn light-colored drinks blue and dark-colored drinks cloudy; other forms of this drugs do not change the color of the drink at all. The effects kick in after about 15 minutes and last for a few hours.

Rohypnol usually makes people look and act like they are drunk. The victim might even pass out. In rare cases, especially when mixed with alcohol, Rohypnol can cause death. Most of the time, the victim remains conscious, but feels paralyzed and may be unable to move. The drug effects can last for 8-12 hours, and the victim may be unable to recall anything that happened after the drug has worn off.

What Is Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB)?

According to National Drug Intelligence Center, GHB, brand name (Xyrem) has become the most common substance used in drug-facilitated sexual assaults. GHB was originally created as an anesthetic. It is a CNS depressant that slows down communication between the brain and the body. GHB is considered very dangerous because there is a thin line between a dose that will get someone high and a dose that causes death. Mixing GHB with alcohol and other drugs increases the odds of overdose. Within 15 minutes, GHB produces euphoria, lowered inhibitions, relaxation, memory impairment, and a heightened sex drive.

Adverse effects include nausea, diarrhea, tremors, dizziness, clumsiness, and drowsiness. Almost 70 percent of users experience a loss of consciousness at some point. Overdose symptoms include sweating, shallow breathing, unconsciousness, hallucinations, seizures, and death. Like Rohypnol, GHB can mentally and physically paralyze someone. When the drug wears off, victims usually do not remember what happened to them.

What Is Ketamine?

Like other date rape drugs, Ketamine (brand name Ketalar), is a fast-acting substance that causes paralysis and memory loss. It is used as an anesthetic, and victims may experience a dreamlike state, an out of body experience, distorted perceptions, loss of identity, and no sense of time. The person might feel out of control and have problems with motor coordination. Depending on the dosage, the person might experience convulsions, vomiting, difficulty breathing, and high blood pressure.

If you want to protect yourself from a drug-facilitated assault, you’ll have to protect your drinks and even food. If you start to feel dizzy, dreamy, very sleepy, drunk, or you experience a loss of motor skills, have a friend take you to a hospital emergency room immediately.

http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/drug-facts/ghb
http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/prescription/rohypnol.html
http://www.drugs.com/illicit/ghb.html
https://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/date-rape-drugs.html