"I was so sick when I woke up," the 25- year old woman said. I didn't know where I was or how I got there. There was vomit on the bed and stuck in my hair. He was naked, and I was naked. He said we made love. .
This woman, like many others, was a victim of a drug- induced date rape, a growing problem among young women, and men, hitting the nightclub and bar scenes. There are a multitude of drugs being used by these perpetrators, but I am going to focus on Rohypnol. This seems to be the one, most of these innocent victims, are getting drugged by.
The "date- rape" drug is Rohypnol. Street names are roofies, roach, rope, R-2, Mexican Valium, and rib. It's usually dependant on which part of the country you live in. The drug, which is highly illegal in the United States, is an odorless, tasteless, white tablet resembling aspirin. It dissolves right into a liquid making almost impossible to detect.
Though small in size, Rohypnol packs enough power to cause memory loss and unconsciousness, rendering you helpless. It is usually felt within 20- 30 minutes. The strongest effects occur within 1 to 2 hours, with overall sedative effects lasting around 6- 8 hours. That's pretty scary. That leaves you totally vulnerable, unaware what is happening to you and your body for 6-8 hours. A lot of damage can occur during that period of time, and it unfortunately usually does.
Adverse effects of this drug include decreased blood pressure, memory impairment, drowsiness, visual disturbances, dizziness, confusion, gastrointestinal disturbances and urinary retention. On a more serious note, many people have died from this drug. It has a tendency to cause major convulsions and seizures, which lead to death. This is one of the ways society learned of this drug. Emergency rooms had become suspicious of these seizures, and tested their blood, finding Rohypnol.
Reports of abuse on many college campuses include stories of women waking up naked in unfamiliar surroundings with no memory of the proceeding hours.