Any drug or substance that is administered surreptitiously to reduce sexual inhibition, in order to increases the chances of non-consensual sex, should be viewed as a date rape drug, which means alcohol is still the leading substance of choice for sexual assailants, followed by marijuana, and then cocaine, if we are to use analysis of rape victims’ urine samples. It should be noted that such statistics leave out cases where rape/sexual assaults are not reported, or reported days, weeks, or months etc., after the offense took place – and the length of time that it takes for someone to report a rape or sexual assault, should/does not discredit the validity of their claim. The reason why this is worth knowing/remembering is that we may be so vigilant in protecting our drinks from being spiked with Rohypnol or GHB (or its predecessor GHL), that we fail to recognize when someone is deliberately and predatorily trying to get us intoxicated or stoned, via alcohol or weed, etc, so that our inhibitions are lowered to a point where we might not fully understand/realize how not to “consent” to someone’s sexual advances; this doesn’t mean that such an act doesn’t constitute rape, as consent must be actively given, and not simply assumed, but rather that if we find ourselves in such a state, we may not be able to either verbally or physically resist etc. This doesn’t make us to blame for being sexually assaulted but means we aren’t in a position to defend ourselves. Interestingly, a series of studies by Dr Heather Flowers at the University of Leicester (UK), has found that although the over-consumption of alcohol may reduce the amount of what we remember, it doesn’t reduce the accuracy of our memories; this has now changed the way that the UK’s Criminal Prosecution Services (CPS) views victim’s testimonies in rape and sexual assault cases, where alcohol is involved (around 75% of cases). There are also those predators, referred to as “scavengers” (usually sober), who trawl the streets around bars and clubs, preying on women, who are unable to resist, exhausted and suggestible – and who have probably been thrown out of a club/bar for being too drunk - to bring home and rape (on the forums these women are known as SNLs – Single Night Lays, with users trading advice on methods and techniques as to how to gain access to them). Whilst this article acknowledges that alcohol is still the “drug” of choice for most sexual assailants and rapists, it also recognizes that drugs such as Rohypnol (roofies) and GHB, are also used in sexual assaults and are a significant threat to an individual’s safety. The aim of this article is to help inform people about these drugs and how to reduce the vulnerabilities around being targeted etc.

Rohypnol (flunitrazepam), came to prominence as a date rape drug in the early 1990’s, with its primary usage being amongst club-goers as a recreational street/party drug that lowered inhibitions etc. However, because sexual predators are constantly thinking of ways to gain access to those they target it started to be adopted/used as a date rape drug. The fact that the drug also had an effect on distorting memory meant that assailants had an added advantage in avoiding detection and/or prosecution. The original drug was odorless and tasteless, however in response to its association with sexual assaults, the manufacturer reformulated it to taste salty and not be fully dissolvable. So, although still in use by sexual predators, other similar drugs have started to become more prevalent. GHB, known as “liquid ecstasy”, “scoop”, and “grievous bodily harm”, appears to have started to overtake Rohypnol as a date rape drug i.e., in urine samples of sexually assaulted women in the U.S. and Canada, GHB accounted for 3% of all samples, with Rohypnol accounting for 1% (alcohol 69%, Marijuana 18%, and Cocaine 5%). GHB is a faster working drug than Rohypnol, taking around 15 minutes to have an effect, whereas Rohypnol can take up to 30 minutes. Although Rohypnol is easily accessible and cheap, usually produced illegally in Mexico, and bought on the internet for a couple of dollars a tablet, GHB can be synthesized locally from “recipes” available on websites. In low doses it lowers inhibitions, but in high ones it can result in drowsiness and coma. Unlike Rohypnol there are no drugs/treatments available to reverse its effects, should a fatal dose be deliberately or inadvertently administered. Whilst its effects can be somewhat predictable by dosage if consumed/taken on its own, when mixed with alcohol the two substances become synergized and effects/symptoms become less predictable e.g., the UK serial rapist/killer Stephen Port (aka, the Grindr Killer), killed four young men, whilst using GHB mixed with alcohol – at trial it was not clear whether his intention was to kill them, rather than simply rape them - or whether this was a result of his inability to predict the amount of GHB he was using to sedate them. GHB, like Rohypnol has a salty taste. GHB is also quickly eliminated from the body in urine, which may mean that it isn’t as frequently detected as it is used.

Whilst blame and responsibility always lie with the assailant, there are precautions that can be taken to reduce the number of vulnerabilities that a predator can exploit. If you are on your own, don’t leave drinks unattended (obvious), however if you are with friends and ask them to watch your drink, don’t by default assume that it is safe on your return. If it was possible that their eyes weren’t on it 100% of the time, you can’t be sure that it wasn’t tampered with, however certain they are that nobody could have accessed it. This doesn’t mean that they aren’t a “good” or “trustworthy” friend, but if they got caught up in a conversation, or were distracted – something that is totally normal on a night out in a club or bar, or at a party – then this might have presented someone with the opportunity they required; slipping something into a drink can happen in seconds. Bottles are less easy to drop something into, simply because the size of the opening is smaller than a glass, and if you are holding it because there isn’t somewhere to put it down, placing your thumb over the top seals it – depending on the setting or situation if there’s a choice of your drink in a bottle or in a glass (a certain brand of beer you drink comes both in bottles and on draft), you may want to select the bottled version. If returning to a drink, that you haven’t had your eyes on all of the time, and it tastes somewhat different (both GHB and “modern” Rohypnol add a salty taste), assume someone has tampered with it – this may not be the case, but its always better to be safe than sorry especially with drugs such as GHB, which have no antidote. Without suggesting that you come up with a timetable for how you consume beverages, don’t purchase a new drink just before you think you’ll need the bathroom, or when you may want to go on the dance floor with some friends. There are chemical tests that identify both Rohypnol and GHB, however social awkwardness usually prevents people from using these, although there are companies developing types of nail polish that when dipped into a drink, change color, so testing can be done surreptitiously. There are also cup/glass covers available, which can be placed over a glass like a lid, that can show if somebody has tried to tamper with it etc., however, social awkwardness often precludes people from using these as well.

The use of date rape drugs is nothing new, nor is it restricted to just Rohypnol and GHB. There have been cases where Valium and Xanax have been used – anything that lowers inhibitions and/or can cause drowsiness has and will be used by sexual predators. Neither are such drugs limited to sexual assaults in public settings or by strangers. Whilst we should be alert and recognize the danger that date rape drugs pose, neither should we be creating a moral panic concerning them. They are a significant threat but they are not the greatest, as alcohol alone is still the most widely administered/used substance by sexual assailants.