Rape Drugs

Alcohol is the most common substance associated with rape. Between 70-90% of rapes involve the use of alcohol by the victim, the perpetrator, or both. Alcohol slows brain activity and distorts judgment. Depending on the amount of consumption, alcohol can cause confusion, stupor, or coma. Alcohol is usually taken voluntarily and although the other rape drugs can be taken voluntarily, they can also be slipped into someone’s food or drink without their knowledge.

What are “rape drugs?”  

Certain drugs, such as Rohypnol, GHB, and Ketamine, are sometimes called “Rape Drugs” because they can be used as a weapon in sexual assault crimes.  When the drugs are hidden in a drink, they may be completely undetectable.  Yet, they are powerful and dangerous.  They can seriously harm or even kill you.
The drugs are usually slipped into a victim's drink without the victim's knowledge or consent.  When the drugs dissolve in the drink, they are colorless and odorless.  Sometimes the drugs are also tasteless.  You can't tell that you are being drugged. The drugs can make you confused, weak, and/or unconscious.  They put you at risk for sexual assault. Many of these drugs are also known as "club drugs" - they are used at raves, clubs, and concerts. Some rapists use these drugs to overpower and incapacitate their victims to facilitate a sexual assault.   These crimes are sometimes called "drug-facilitated sexual assaults."  Below is a typical scenario in a drug-facilitated sexual assault:
 
You’re at a party, a club, or a social event.  You’re with people you know, people you think you have no reason to fear.  Someone secretly drops a drug in your drink.  When the drug dissolves, it is colorless and odorless.  It may also be tasteless.  You can’t tell that you are being drugged.  As you consume the drink, the drug takes effect.  You’re now in a weakened, helpless, or unconscious state.  You’re so incapacitated that you can’t escape or resist a rapist, or even call out for help.  You’re sexually assaulted.  When the drug wears off, you may not remember what was done to you. 

The presence of predator drugs (more commonly known as rape drugs) is creating a growing concern on campuses and in communities across the country. These drugs are sometimes used to involuntarily sedate someone so that they are unable to defend themselves against sexual assault. Victims are often unable to remember what happened to them. The three drugs most commonly slipped into food or drinks without the person’s knowledge are:

Rohypnol

Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate (GHB)

Ketamine Hydrochloride (Ketamine)>

Signs You May Have Been Drugged

Feeling a lot more intoxicated than your usual response to the amount of alcohol you consumed… 

Not everyone is affected the same way. It is difficult to predict the exact effects of any drug on a particular individual.  The effects may vary depending upon the drug, the dose you ingest, and whether the drug is mixed with alcohol or other drugs.  Other factors that influence how a particular drug will affect you are your weight, gender, metabolism, and other issues, such as how soon you receive medical assistance.  There is one thing you can be sure of - the danger of serious and harmful effects is greatly increased when drugs like Rohypnol, GHB, Ecstasy, and Ketamine are ingested in combination with alcohol or other drugs

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What to do if you think you may have been drugged

• Get to a safe place.
• Get help immediately.
• Ask a trusted friend to stay with you and assist you in getting the services you need.
• Call the police.
• Get medical care immediately.  Call 911 or go to a hospital emergency department as soon as possible for an examination and evidence collection.  Most "rape drugs" are metabolized very quickly by the body.  The sooner you receive medical care, the more likely it is that evidence can be found that will help you identify any substances used to drug you.
• Ask the hospital or clinic where you receive medical care to take a urine sample for drug toxicology testing by your law enforcement agency's crime lab.  Drugs such as Rohypnol and GHB are more likely to be found in urine than in blood.  Special tests must be conducted to detect these drugs.  Most hospitals cannot conduct these tests at the levels necessary to completely assess if you were actually drugged.
• If you think you may have been sexually assaulted, you should have a specialized sexual assault examination.  Preserve all physical evidence of the assault.  Do not shower, bathe, douche, eat, drink, wash your hands, or brush your teeth before you have a medical evaluation.  Save the clothing you were wearing at the time of the assault.  Do not disturb anything in the area where the assault occurred.  Save any other materials that might contain evidence of the drug(s) you may have been given, such as the glass that held your drink.
• Call a rape crisis center for support and information. In the Pensacola area, you can reach Lakeview's Rape Crisis Line at (850)433-7273. For information on other crisis lines or centers, you can contact RAINN at 1-800-656-HOPE. They will connect you to a rape crisis center in your area.

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Protect Yourself

• Don’t accept drinks from people you don’t know.
• Don’t drink beverages that you did not open yourself.
• Don’t share or exchange drinks with anyone.
• Don’t take a drink from a punch bowl or a container that is being passed around.
• If possible, bring your own drinks to parties.
• If someone offers you a drink from the bar at a club or party, accompany the person to the bar to order your drink, watch the drink being poured, and carry the drink yourself.
• Don’t leave your drink unattended while talking, dancing, using the restroom, or making a phone call.
• If you realize your drink has been left unattended, discard it.
• Don’t drink anything that has an unusual taste or appearance (e.g., salty taste, excessive foam, unexplained residue).
• DON’T MIX DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

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