Name something both colorless and tasteless that can cause drowsiness, seizures and amnesia and could be an extreme health hazard if it’s ingested.
Date rape drugs are defined as drugs that are often used to assist in sexual assaults.
The physical effects of the drugs can leave a person unable to control their physical and mental faculties.
Three of the most common date rape drugs are GHB (gamma hydroxybutyric acid), Ketamine (ketamine hydrochloride) and Rohypnol (flunitrazepam).
According to the Web site www.womenshealth.com, two of these drugs are legal in the United States for medical use if prescribed by a doctor.
Ketamine is used as an anesthetic and GHB was recently legalized to treat narcolepsy-related problems.
Rohypnol is the only one of the three not legal in the United States, but is a legal anesthetic in both Europe and Mexico.
Another common date rape drug is legal to everyone over 21 years of age.
Julia James, a student advocate for the Safe Harbor program, said the most frequently used date rape drug is not necessarily a drug or pill, but is more often alcohol.
“Alcohol is the most common date rape drug,” James said. “We do see others, but alcohol is the most common.”
James said a big issue most people don’t understand is that alcohol is more prevalent than other substances, like GHB and Rohypnol, that are commonly called date rape drugs.
“When most assaults are reported, alcohol has been consumed,” James said.
Symptoms of being dosed with date rape drugs are similar to those associated with alcohol intoxication.
They include nausea, difficulty moving and speaking, dizziness, confusion and memory problems.
Both alcohol and the other substances impair judgment, inhibit a person’s ability to resist and reduce the sense of danger of situations.
James said all three of these side effects make a victim an easy target for sexual assault.
She also said alcohol can be a common medium for a person to ingest another type of date rape drug, adding they can also be slipped into sodas and other beverages.
According to the Criminal Code of Alabama 1975, which is still used as a reference for many law enforcement agencies across the state including Auburn, being administered a date rape drug is considered a second-degree assault, which is a Class C felony.
Capt. Tommy Carswell with the Auburn Department of Public Safety said the use of date rape drugs without a sexual assault is not a common occurrence.
“That’s a vague subject for us because we don’t work that end a lot,” Carswell said. “Usually it’s someone is given a date rape drug, and a rape occurs.”
A sexual assault that occurs with the assistance of a date rape drug is classified as a rape in the first degree because the victim is incapable of consent by being physically helpless or mentally incapacitated.
Carswell said if someone suspects they have been given a date rape drug, they should “first and foremost go to an appropriate medical center to assure their well-being.”
Since a date rape drug overdose can occur if the victim’s body cannot handle the amount of the ingested drug, immediate medical attention should be sought.
“If someone is with someone they think could have been drugged, (they shouldn’t) let them sleep it off,” James said. “They should be taken to the emergency room.”
An overdose of GHB can result in a coma or death.
If you think you have been given a date rape drug, seek medical attention for a urine test as soon as possible.
According to the Web site, Rohypnol can be detected in a urine test up to 72 hours after it is ingested, while GHB leaves the body after approximately 12 hours.
For more information about date rape drugs, call Safe Harbor at (334) 844-7233, or visit http://www.auburn.edu/student_info/student_affairs/safe_harbor.
