Date Rape Drugs Rohypnol, Ketamine, Gamma Hydroxybutyrate GHB – Some Facts, Effects and Tips on How to stay Safe from them

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Date Rape Drugs Rohypnol, Ketamine, Gamma Hydroxybutyrate GHB – Some Facts, Effects and Tips on How to stay Safe from them

Hi everyone, today let us talk about something related to safety of women. My blog is a platform for women. So I thought, from time to time, I will talk about safety and well being of women.

Date Rape Drugs Rohypnol, Ketamine, Gamma Hydroxybutyrate GHB - Some Facts, Effects and Tips How to stay Safe from them

I am sure most of you ladies have heard about Date Rape Drugs. These are the drugs which when administered, makes a person vulnerable to sexual assault. Sexual assault is any sexual activity done without proper consent. Being an educated woman of a prestigious nation, it is our responsibility to have the knowledge of such drugs. It is very important for our safety. The crime rate against women is increasing day by day, and it is time that we take control and do everything we can to stop such criminals. Knowledge is the most important defence when used at right times.

What are Date Rape Drugs?

These are also known as predator drugs. Date Rape Drugs are incapacitating agents which when consumed makes one lose control of oneself and renders one vulnerable to a drug facilitated sexual assault (DFSA). These drugs makes the victim physically helpless, unable to refuse sex, and unable to remember what happened. 3 such agents are commonly known:

1. Rohypnol
2. Ketamine
3. Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB)

Let us talk about them one by one and know a basic outline about each drug.

Rohypnol

Other names of Rohypnol

Circles, Forget Pill, LA Rochas, Lunch Money, Mexican Valium, Mind Erasers, Poor Man’s Quaalude, R-2, Rib, Roach, Roach-2, Roches, Roofies, Roopies, Rope, Rophies, Ruffies, Trip-and-Fall, Whiteys

Rohypnol is the trade name for a drug called as flunitrazepam. Flunitrazepam is a benzodiazepine (sedative/hypnotic) used medically for treatment of insomnia and other conditions. It is known to induce anterograde amnesia, which means when one is under the influence of this drug, one will not remember anything which happens with or around him. This is the major reason why it is used as a rape drug. The victim is unable to recall the assailant, surrounding or anything about the incident. Another very important reason is, this drug vanishes from body fluids in approximately 72 hours after consumption. This means that after 72 hours, it is almost impossible to determine if the sexual assault was committed under the effect of any drug. Further, because of loss of memory and sedative effect the victim often realises the scenario very late. It leads to critical delays, reluctance to report the incident and by this time the drug levels wash out from the body fluids. The effects of this drug starts in 10 minutes and last for upto 8 hours.

Ketamine

Other names of Ketamine

Black Hole, Bump, Cat Valium, Green, Jet, K, K-Hole, Kit Kat, Psychedelic Heroin, Purple, Special K, Super Acid

Ketamine is a commonly used anaesthetic used in small procedures by doctors. It is used in ICU settings and as pain killer for severe intractable pain by doctors. It induces dissociative anaesthesia. It creates a sense of detachment from one’s physical body and the external world. It induces a trance like state. It starts acting within 10 minutes of ingestion and the effects last for one or a couple of hours. At high doses it induces hallucinations as well. The person loses contact with his surroundings and is completely unaware of his own body and surroundings. Also, while under the effect of this drug, the person does not remember any events i.e. it induces amnesia similar to Rohypnol.

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB)

Other names of GHB

Bedtime Scoop, Cherry Meth, Easy Lay, Energy Drink, G, Gamma 10, Georgia Home Boy, G-Juice, Gook, Goop, Great Hormones, Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH), Liquid E, Liquid Ecstasy, Liquid X, PM, Salt Water, Soap, Somatomax, Vita-G

It is a drug used by the doctors for treatment of conditions like cataplexy, alcoholism and narcolepsy. It is a centrally acting CNS depressant which means it slows down the brain activity. This drug induces a state of euphoria, amnesia, disinhibition and enhanced sensuality. It very commonly can induce unconsciousness as well. The sodium salt of this drug has a very salty taste and is colourless and odourless. This makes it very easy to add to drinks. The drug washes out from the system in 1 or 2 days and after that is almost impossible to detect it from the body fluid samples.

Most Important Points

All these drugs can be easily mixed into a drink of foodstuff. These do not change the colour or taste of the drink or food which means, the victim will not even realise that she is being drugged. These drugs start acting within a span of minutes and while under their effects, victim will not remember anything which happened with her. Afterwards, these drugs soon get eliminated from the system which means that the doctor will not be able to detect in her blood or urine samples. Additionally, because of sedation and amnesia the victim realises the mishap often pretty late.

Thus, I cannot stress enough that how extremely important it is to be cautious. The only way to prevent such incidents, is to be aware. Have a knowledge about these drugs. I am trying to tell all of you about these drugs so that you know what these are and you may not be fooled by anyone trying to take advantage of you. Always remember, these drugs are almost always associated with alcoholic drinks. However, this does not mean that it cannot be mixed with fruit juices and other drinks.

Date Rape Drugs Rohypnol, Ketamine, Gamma Hydroxybutyrate GHB - Some Facts, Effects and Tips on How to stay Safe

Is Alcohol a Date Rape Drug?

Although alcohol very much fits into the above description and often called the number one date rape drug, it is not classified under typical rape drugs because it needs to be consumed in specific amounts to have such effects. Another point is, alcohol is not a tablet that it can be put into your drink without your knowledge. When a person consumes alcohol, he/she knows about this and remembers. However in case of a typical rape drug, the person does not even know how it started as he/she was most likely unaware of his drink being adulterated with a date rape drug.

Date Rape Drugs Rohypnol, Ketamine, Gamma Hydroxybutyrate GHB - Some Facts, Effects and Tips How to stay Safe

How to Stay Safe from Date Rape Drugs

I am going to mention a few tips which may be useful to prevent consumption of any such drug unknowingly.

Whenever you are at a bar, restaurant, club, public setting, a new friends house or any other place:

1. Never leave your drink or food unattended. If you have to, then make sure somebody you really trust more than yourself is watching over your drink or food.

2. Do not accept open-container drinks from anyone except trusted bartenders and servers. (The classic bollywood style of a hero giving a drink to the heroine and she drinks it fits only on the TV. Do not apply this in personal life. We need to be safe, this is life not a movie)

3. Be extremely cautious while accepting drinks from a stranger or from anyone that you have not known for long.

4. While attending parties, clubs, bars always go along with some friends and have a discussion beforehand about watching over each others’ drinks.

5. If you friend seems like she is under the effect of alcohol or looks very dizzy inspite of consuming only a very little amount, seek medical help immediately.

6. While going on a date or meeting someone new, always inform your parents, close friends or someone you really trust. Tell them where you are going and keep their number on speed dial. Give them a time limit when you’d be back. When you meet him, prefer a trusted place which you are familiar with. Accept drinks only from the server and DO NOT leave your drink or food unattended at all. Do not go to new places or hop into his vehicle for any sort of drive. Do not drink any sort of liquid which he has brought with himself or has been kept in his vehicle.

7. Inform your friends, families, brother, sisters, neighbours and everyone about these drugs. Tell them everything you have learnt about these and make them aware.

8. Remember, being aware is the first and most important step towards safety.

Date Rape Drugs Rohypnol Ketamine Gamma Hydroxybutyrate GHB - Some Facts Effects and Tips on How to stay Safe from them

Finally, if you think you have been a victim of such a drug, immediately seek help. Go to a medical emergency facility as soon as possible. Inform your parents or friends. These drugs when consumed in large quantities can have disastrous effects and can threaten life. There have been news of people dying with these drugs also. So for your safety and the safety of every girl, share this article and spread the awareness. Safety begins at home. If you are cautious, you can be safe from such criminals. Remember, knowledge grows when you share it.

Be informed, stay safe.

Image credits: Google images

4 thoughts on “Date Rape Drugs Rohypnol, Ketamine, Gamma Hydroxybutyrate GHB – Some Facts, Effects and Tips on How to stay Safe from them”

  1. I used to think this was a rumour but its real 😮 😮
    We really need to be more careful..thanks for writing this Astha…definitely will help young girls be more cautious..

    Reply

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