Abundance of new drug concerns officials
By Ryan Ozimek
Daily Bruin Contributor
An illegal sedative drug labeled as the "date rape" drug has
recently hit the streets of the greater Los Angeles area, posing a
new threat to young people and law officials.
Rohypnol, more commonly know by its street name "roofies," is
one of the fastest growing abused drugs in Florida and Texas. Made
by the Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company Hoffmann-La Roche,
the drug has now moved its way into California.
Roofies, which some officials said are 10 times stronger than
Valium, cause severe drowsiness and amnesia – symptoms that have
given roofies the title of "the date rape drug."
So far, there have been two reported cases of date rape
involving the drug in Southern California, investigators said. But
the drug’s growing popularity has police concerned that those
numbers will rise.
"There’s a lot of the drug in the Los Angeles area, and there’s
no doubt that it’s made its way to the colleges and high schools,"
said Los Angeles Police Department Narcotic Lt. Bernie Larraldie.
"It’s not an epidemic now, but if we don’t quickly stop it, we will
see one."
Part of the reason interest and demand for roofies is so high is
the drug’s relatively low cost. Rohypnol’s street value can range
anywhere from $1 to $5 – appealing prices to students and other
youths on limited budgets, police said.
Researchers have found that Rohypnol is also used by cocaine and
heroin users. Cocaine users find that using "roofies" makes it
easier to fall from a high while those who take heroin use it to
offset withdrawal symptoms.
Roofies, through interaction with chemicals in the brain, cause
a state of extreme rest. The drug is only prescribed for persons
with extreme insomnia or as a pre-surgery anesthetic. Abuse of such
a strong drug can cause a variety of symptoms from fatigue and
sluggishness to comas and even death depending on the dosage and
any other environmental conditions.
James Adams, an associate professor of molecular pharmacology
and toxicology at the USC School of Pharmacy, said, "One of the
reasons for its popularity is because it’s fairly safe alone. About
65 percent of people who take the drug and then relax and close
their eyes will quickly fall asleep."
He emphasized that although alone the drug is relatively safe
when taken at the recommended level, the environment in which the
person takes the drug is usually what causes the most dramatic
effects.
"For example, if you’re driving on the road right after you just
had a dose, you’re increasing your chances of falling asleep and
getting into an accident," Adams said.
If the drug is used while alcohol is in the body, the effects
can turn deadly. A two milligram tablet taken with alcohol can put
someone into a coma, but the chances of that depend greatly on the
amount of alcohol consumed. The majority of the cases in which
death occurred involved the use of Rohypnol while under the
influence of alcohol.
The most famous example of roofie complications occurred when
Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain took the drug with a glass of
champagne, causing him to slip into a coma just one month before
his suicide.
The drug loosens the inhibitions of its users while they are
still awake, producing an alcohol-like effect
Using Rohypnol not only causes severe drowsiness but also causes
amnesia. People who take the drug with alcohol remember only until
the moment of taking the drug, although they are awake for up to 30
minutes after taking it.
The drug will keep its user asleep for eight to nine hours
depending on the dosage and if alcohol was used with the drug. It
is these effects that worry many rape counselors and law
enforcement officials.
"Knowledge is always the best protection. The more you know the
better prepared and more in control of your environment you can
be," said Kathy Rose-Mockry, director of the Women’s Resource
Center on campus.
Assistant director Diane Bischetti Suggs added, "People of age
should not accept mixed drinks from others and must be aware of
their limits when drinking."
The drug is legally available in most European and Latin
American countries, including Mexico. There, government officials
reported instances of Rohypnol being sold over-the-counter. In the
United States, though, possession of the drug has never been
legal.
Until recently, foreigners traveling through the United States
were legally allowed to bring limited amounts of the drug with them
for personal use. But on Wednesday, Congress passed a law
forbidding foreigners from bringing any amount of the drug across
U.S. borders.
"We’ve found that the drug is coming into our state either by
air from Colombia, or by foot through Mexico," said Florida’s
Broward County Assistant State Attorney Bob Nichols. Florida has
seen large-scale abuse of the drug.
"It’s a mushrooming problem and it won’t stop until law
enforcement can begin to suppress it."
Since the drug is legal in countries near the U.S. border,
especially Mexico, drug enforcement officials have begun to crack
down on items brought over the border. Drug Enforcement
Administration seizures of the drug have been concentrated in Texas
and Florida, where Drug Enforcement made 547 confiscations.
And it is reported that Dade County police in Florida now test
drivers they consider drunk for Rohypnol along with alcohol.
In the greater Los Angeles area, police officials have seen an
upsurge in Roofies found on the streets, especially near the Civic
Center. Just last week, Los Angeles police seized hundreds of the
pills being illegally sold in downtown.
But Larraldie said state law does not address the drug, even
though federal law prohibits the possession of the drug by an
American citizen.
Police, lobbying in the state government, have successfully put
a bill on the floor of the California legislature that would make
the possession of the drug illegal in the state. If the law passes,
possession of Rohypnol would be comparable to cocaine or heroin
possession in the eyes of the justice system.
But in cases of date rape, cracking down on the drug will be
more difficult, partially because of rape victims’ reluctance to
report the crime.
"People who have been assaulted in such situations may feel
guilty for drinking, but these people need to understand that the
blame should be put on their assailant," Rose-Mockry said.
Those who do report such incidents to the police will still have
a hard time proving they were drugged. It is near impossible for
doctors to tell if Rohypnol is in the blood stream because most
hospitals don’t have the technology to trace the drug.
Adams stressed that anyone who believes they have ingested the
drug should seek medical attention immediately, and should bring
any alcohol that they might have been drinking with them to the
hospital.
First year mathematics student Beth Hanemann said, "It’s really
scary to know that there’s a drug like that out there. It’s even
more frightening to think that I wouldn’t be able to remember what
happened to me if someone gave it to me."Comments to
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