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 Rohypnol is also sometimes referred to as the" Forget Pill," or "Forget Me Pill," and one young person referred to it as the "date-rape drug of choice" because of its disinheriting effect, especially when combined with even a moderate amount of alcohol. People are attracted to its alcohol-potentiating effect and the promise of being able to engage in violent or destructive activity without inhibition or feeling guilt. Addicts use it to manage effects of alcohol and/ or other drugs and/or withdrawal from alcohol and/or other drugs.

 Abuse of Rohypnol typically occurs among teenagers and college students. Used by people of all socioeconomic status, the drug is typically sold in its original bubble packaging for $2 to $3 per pill.

                          Effects:
Side effects include drowsiness, headaches, memory impairment, dizziness, ataxia, nightmares, amnesia, tremors, daytime sedation, and daytime psychomotor impairment, especially after 2 mg. and chronic administration. Sedation occurs 25-30 minutes after ingestion with peak effect at 1 - 2 hours. Sedation lasts for 8 hours after 2 mg. (considered a "heavy dose," and the dosage preferred among abusers) is ingested orally. There is evidence of psychomotor impairment 12 hours after ingestion.

 Restlessness, agitation, irritability and aggressiveness have been reported in persons using benzodiazpines or benzodiazepine-like agents. More rarely, delusion, rages, nightmares, hallucinations, psychoses, inappropriate behavior, and other adverse behavior effects have also been observed.

Psychomotor impairment increases greatly when alcohol is consumed in combination with any benzodiazepine.  Use may also lead to physical and psychic dependence; risk of dependence increases with dose and duration of use and is greater in users with a history of alcohol or drug abuse.

 Once physical dependence occurs, withdrawal symptoms may include: headache, muscle pain, extreme anxiety, tension, restlessness, confusion and irritability, depersonalization, numbness, tingling of extremities, hypersensitivity to light, noise, physical contact, hallucinations, delirium, disorientation, convulsions, shock, cardiovascular collapse.

              What Are the Side Effects of Rohypnol?

Among the immediate effects of taking Rohypnol are feelings of intoxication, muscle relaxation, and drowsiness. Users under the influence may exhibit slurred speech, impaired judgment, and difficulty in walking. The drug causes “anterograde amnesia,” whereby individuals are unable to remember events they experienced while under its effects.

Other adverse effects of Rohypnol include respiratory distress, blackouts that can last up to 24 hours, decreased blood pressure, hallucinations, dizziness, confusion, gastrointestinal disturbances, urinary retention, headaches, and muscle pain. Some users may display aggressive behavior.

Rohypnol can produce physical and psychological dependence. As a result, chronic users can experience withdrawal effects and seizures. When used in combination with alcohol and other depressants, Rohypnol can be fatal.

Rohypnol  use causes dependence in humans. Once dependence has developed, abstention induces withdrawal symptoms, including headache, muscle pain, extreme anxiety, tension, restlessness, confusion, and irritability. Numbness, tingling of the extremities, loss of identity, hallucinations, delirium, convulsions, shock, and cardiovascular collapse also may occur. Withdrawal seizures can occur a week or more after cessation of use. As with other sedative drugs, treatment for rohypnol dependence must be gradual, with use tapering off.

Prevention:

Keep yourself safe.  Rohypnol is tasteless and  odorless, but especially dangerous when mixed with alcohol, as in a punch.

Know what is in your drink.  Never accept an open drink from anyone, even if it's someone you know.  Most rapes are "acquaintance rapes", not attacks by strangers.

Buddy-up.  Make sure you are with someone who will remain sober, like a designated driver.  Once this drug is activated, the sedative effect makes it difficult to be in control of your decisions, or your behavior.

Here are a few suggestions for staying aware and alert:
This information was provided by the University of Massachusetts Lowell

• Be wary about accepting drinks from anyone you don't know well or long enough to trust.
• If you are accepting a drink, make sure it's from an unopened container and that you open it yourself.
• Don't put your drink down and leave it unattended.
• Notify other females you know about the effects of this dangerous drug.

I     f you think that you have been a victim, notify the authorities immediately!!!

                And some additional thoughts for men:

• Women are our partners, sisters, mothers, cousins, and friends. We need to join with them in making life safe and happy for all of us.
• Let your female friends know about the devastating potential this drug has when used by unscrupulous men on unsuspecting women to try to avoid the personal responsibility for committing sexual assault and rape.
  
  Remember, non-consensual sex, coerced sex, sex with a partner who is under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, and is therefore not able to give consent:   IS RAPE.

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