Rohypnol

As it is known as the "date rape drug," rohypnol has been a major form of concern for many individuals, due to the abusive use which has been seen in clubs, night clubs, and many late night scenes. Whether it is mixed in with your drink when you are not paying attention, or whether it is placed in something you are ingesting without your knowledge, when rohypnol is mixed in with alcohol, it incapacitates the victim, and prevents their ability to resist sexual assault. The drug can also be lethal depending on the other drugs that are involved, alcohol combinations, or any other depressants which may be in the system, can all make for a horrible mix, leading to death in many instances.

Rohypnol is a drug which causes sedative hypnotic effects over the body, including the muscle relaxation, and in many individuals it might have the affect of amnesia, causing them to forget all that happened to them the night before. The continual use of rohypnol can also lead to a physical as well as a psychological dependence on the drug, making it something difficult to live without, even if the users are not knowingly using the drug. The rohypnol drug has not been approved for use in the US, and it the importation of the drug is banned anywhere in the country.

GHB -
This drug is similar to rohypnol in the sense that it has been associated with the cases of sexual assault, especially in larger and major port cities, where getting the drugs imported in is easier than central states in the US. The use of rohypnol and GHB has been reported in many night clubs, and due to the similarities in the drugs, those who are victims of GHB being put in their drink, or them ingesting it in a different unknown manner, these individuals (typically women), are unable to avoid sexual assault, due to their inability to control cognitive reasoning. One of the most commonly associated problems with GHB is the loss of consciousness, meaning inability to move, or properly function, leaving victims helpless, and due to the effects the drug has on the memory, many do not even recall what happened to them in the event they are raped.

Potential for coma & seizures -
Other common effects which are attributed to the use of GHB and rohypnol include individuals having seizures, or a coma occurring, after they ingest the drug. When rohypnol is combined with a methamphetamine, there is also the increased potential and risk for that individual to have a seizure, due to the inability to control movement, and control their ability to keep the body properly functioning. By combining rohypnol with other drugs (no matter what they are), and alcohol, certain issues which may come up include nausea, vomiting, and difficulty breathing, due to the increase in the heart rate, and the body's inability to keep up with what the drug is doing to the user's system. Those who are drugged with rohypnol or GHB will also find that there are withdrawal effects which can include: insomnia, profuse levels of sweating, tremors and shaking, extreme anxiety or panic attacks, and the inability to control the body from convulsive movements.

Illegal means of attaining the drug -
Due to the fact that rohypnol is illegal in the US, the only way to get it in the US is in the same manner which all other street drugs are purchased - via illegal means. Many manufacturers produce and sell the drug illegally in the US, and certain manufacturers will even sell it as a prescription medication where it is used as a short term treatment for the condition of insomnia. The main method of rohypnol being smuggled in to the US is generally through mail or delivery services.

What does rohypnol look like? -
Depending on the dosage, the rohypnol drug will be a white tablet and has a score on either side of it; the word ROCHE is imprinted on one side, and has a number 1 or 2 on the opposite side, depending on the prescription strength of the rohypnol drug. These drugs generally come in a pre sealed bubble wrapper pack; due to the fact that they are simple to dissolve in any drink, and are extremely difficult (nearly impossible) to trace, rohypnol is one of the most commonly used "date rape" drugs in the US, and world wide.

Side effects of rohypnol -
There are different adverse effects on those who are drugged with rohypnol (or GHB). The more common side effects are decrease in the blood pressure, the extreme impairment of memory, the immediate effect of drowsiness will kick in, many individuals have claimed visual impairments (or hallucinations), various feelings of confusion and being dizzy, and many individuals have claimed that urinary retention is something that is another side effect of the rohypnol drug on the body's system. As with all other illegal drugs, the effects which rohypnol are going to have on the body will vary from each individual who is drugged, and the effects are going to start up at different periods of time, and will last for different periods of duration.

Protection from rohypnol -
Although there is no method to protect yourself 100% from an individual placing rohypnol in your drink, when you are at clubs, especially where there is heavy drinking involved, and when you are around individuals you do not know, making sure you always hold your drink, and never leave it unattended to is the best way to ensure nothing is placed in it. Additionally, whatever you order, you should order directly from the bar, rather than have a cocktail waitress bring it to you, so that you can see the drink being made. And, if you order a soda or a bottle of water, or a beer, asking the bartender to leave the bottle closed, and allow you to open it yourself, are some of the best methods to ensure rohypnol does not end up in your beverage, and that you are not a victim of the "date rape drug."