Depending on where it's manufactured, Rohypnol can also look like what's shown in the images below.
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Introduction Rohypnol® pronounced "row-hip-nol" is a Trade-Marked name for a tranquillizer and central nervous system depressant called flunitrazepam. Rohypnol belongs to the family of medications called benzodiazepines which includes Valium, Librium and Xanax. These fall into the family of anti anxiety agents, muscle relaxants, sedatives, hypnotics, and in some applications, as an anticonvulsant. Its effects (physiological) are very similar to Valium, except it's about ten times more potent. Rohypnol is not legally available in the United States or Canada. It's manufactured primarily in Mexico and is available by prescription in over 60 countries. Rohypnol is also known (among many other street names) as Roofies, Roche, Forget Me Drug, Forget Me Pill, Circles and it's usually sold as a small, white tablet for between $2 to $ 3.00 per tab. (see photo in left sidebar.) It is colorless, tasteless, odorless, and is easily dissolved in drinks. It produces profound sedative effects, especially when mixed with alcohol, and has become known as one of the leading "date rape" drugs because of its reported use in sexual assaults. It's also frequently used to improve the high of low quality heroin and some use it to soften out the high of cocaine. With cocaine and crack cocaine, flunitrazepam is also effective for easing the user down after a binge. Metabolic Properties The drug’s metabolic properties (how a substance is handled in the living body) are detectable in urine for up to 72 hours after ingestion. For that reason, if someone suspects that they've been the victim of date rape, it's a good idea to save their urine for analysis as soon as possible. (see mini section on Date Rape at the bottom of this page) Since February 1999, reformulated Rohypnol tablets, which turn blue in a drink to increase visibility, have been approved and marketed in 20 countries. The old non-colored tablets are still available, however. So in response to the reformulated blue tablets, people who intend to commit a sexual assault facilitated by Rohypnol are now serving blue tropical drinks and punches in which the blue dye can be disguised. Rohypnol is popular with youth because of its low cost, which as we said, is usually less than $5 per tablet. It has been used throughout the United States by high school and college students, street gang members, rave and nightclub attendees, drug addicts, and alcohol abusers. Rohypnol is used in combination with alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, and LSD. The predominant user age group is 13- to 30-years-old and users tend to be male.
The Short-Term Effects Of Rohypnol:
Rohypnol can cause these problems for people who take it:
Addictive Potential & Treatment Regular use of flunitrazepam use does cause dependence in humans. Once addiction has developed, when you stop taking the drug withdrawal symptoms will follow, including headache, muscle pain, extreme anxiety, tension, restlessness, confusion, and irritability. Some people going through withdrawal also report numbness, tingling of the extremities, loss of identity, hallucinations, delirium, convulsions and shock. There is also the possibility of cardiovascular collapse. Withdrawal seizures can occur a week or more after cessation of use. As with other benzodiazepines, treatment for dependence on this drug should be gradual, with use slowly tapering off. A patient who is physically dependent but taking only flunitrazepam could be withdrawn from the drug using phenobarbital. Patients who combine alcohol and flunitrazepam may need additional medication for their alcohol withdrawal. After patients have received their initial phenobarbital doses, a benzodiazepine, such as chlordiazepoxide or diazepam, can be administered as needed to alleviate emerging alcohol withdrawal signs and symptoms (e.g., rising pulse and blood pressure, tremulousness, diaphoresis) and prevent withdrawal seizures. If an intramuscular benzodiazepine is required for alcohol withdrawal, Ativan (lorazepam) could be used. As you can see, this is not a "pretty" drug when you're going through withdrawal from it. More About The Rohypnol - Date Rape Connection: Drug-facilitated rape can be defined as sexual assault made easier by the offender’s use of an "anesthesia" type drug that can render the victim physically incapacitated or helpless and unable to give consent to sexual activity. Whether the victim is unwittingly administered the drug, or willingly ingests it for recreational use is irrelevant. The person is victimized because of an inability to consciously consent to sexual acts. Rohypnol is one of the drugs most commonly implicated in drug-facilitated rape. It can mentally and physically paralyze an individual. Effects of the drug are of particular concern in combination with alcohol and can lead to anterograde amnesia, where events that occurred during the time the drug was in effect are forgotten. During 2000, some 261,000 rapes/sexual assaults occurred in the U.S., but it is unknown how many were drug facilitated. Many factors contribute to this lack of data, including the short period of time that the drug can be detected in the victim’s system. Also, victims may not seek help until days after the assault, partly because the drug impairs their memory and partly because of their inability to recognize signs of sexual assault. As with any sexual assault, survivors need help regaining a sense of control and security. Many victims rely on a support system to help them deal with the flood of emotions in the aftermath of the assault. To Help Avoid Date Rape: A new kit is now available called "The Drink Detective." This new kit costs $ 7.00 (USD) and is used to determine if your beverage was spiked with any of the three main date-rape drugs which as we mentioned are GHB, Rohypnol, (known as roofies) and Ketamine hydrochloride. ( known as Special K.) If you suspect that perhaps your drink has been contaminated by one of these drugs, you can use a small dropper to test a sample of the drink on three chemically sensitive patches on a card. The spots change color in about 30 seconds if the drink is indeed spiked. The Drink Detective is just one of a few new products on the market that perform a "litmus test" for the presence of drugs, and this particular product won Popular Science magazine's "Best of What's New Award." We haven't actually tested this product, (or any others like like it) nor are we endorsing it. However, we are in the business of education and awareness and thought you should know. More information on these types of kits is available via a Google search. Frankly, it's sickening to think you have to be so careful these days when all you want to do is go out and have some fun at a dance or club, but these are the times in which we live, and it's better to be aware than to be a victim. Here's some good advice.
If You Suspect You've Been Sexually Assaulted:
Summary Like any tranquillizer, Rohypnol reduces your brain activity. So evidently, reducing someone's brain activity is the only way some people can get anybody to have sexual relations with them, or they just get off on having sex that way. The point is, there are people out there with this little "hang-up," so you've got to keep your wits about you. We're not trying to paint an exaggerated picture of a terrifying world out there, but it is what it is. So in summary, it's worth saying that this is a real good drug to stay away from for recreational use - it's just too easy to make yourself vulnerable. And think about whether it's worth being around people who are using or selling this drug too, because most people that have it in their possession are using it for some pretty sick purposes. As it should be, "date rape" is viewed as an extremely serious crime by the Courts, so why get mixed up in that kind of trouble, even if it's by association?
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