Rohypnol

What is Rohypnol?

"Roofies." Sounds like a cartoon character or a piece of candy. However,nothing could be further from the truth about Roofies, also known as thedrug Rohypnol.

Rohypnol (Flunitrazepam) is a type of benzodiazepine, a class of drugsthat depresses the central nervous system. You may have heard of Valiumand Xanax. These are also benzodiazepines used as sedatives andantianxiety agents. Rohypnol was developed as a sleeping aid. It is alsoused intherapy settings to relax patients and to get them talking. Rohypnol ismanufactured in Europe and Latin American and is sold in manycountries around the world. However, it is illegal in the United Statesand Canada. The pills are round, white and smaller than aspirin.

Because Rohypnol is inexpensive, it is becoming popular with highschool and college students. In the US, Rohypnol is used mostly atparties, and usually taken with alcohol. It has a synergistic effect withother drugs such as alcohol. This means that one drug increases theeffect of the other.

Rohypnol Tablets Image courtesy of the U.S. Department of Justice

Behavioral Effects of Rohypnol

Rohypnol can produce amnesia (memory loss) and muscle relaxation and makepeople lower their inhibitions. An inhibition is when you feel like youcan't do something. When inhibitions are lowered, people feel as ifan obstacle has been removed. Therefore, they can talk more freely andfeel less shy.

Because Rohypnol is colorless, odorless and flavorless,it can be slipped into drinks unnoticed. This is one reason this drug isso dangerous. People may consume it without knowing it. It dissolvesquickly and takes effect in 20-30 minutes. Its effects can last 8-12hours. Within the past few years, Rohypnol has become known as the "daterape" drug. People will come home from a party and have no idea whathappened to them because they unknowingly ingested Rohypnol, passed out,and woke up several hours later with no memory of the evening. To addressthis new use, Congress passed the "Drug-Induced Rape Prevention andPunishment Act of 1996" to increase federal penalties for the use of anycontrolled substance to aid in a sexual assault.

Continued, repeated use of Rohypnol may result in addiction and althoughRohypnol is a sedative, it can cause aggressive behavior in some people.Withdrawal symptoms may occur and include headaches, sore muscles,hallucinations, convulsions, and possibly seizures 1-2 weeks afterquitting the drug.

While overdoses are rarely fatal, emergency services are sometimesrequired because Rohypnol can cause a person to vomit, hallucinate, havetrouble breathing and fall into a coma. When Rohypnol is combined withalcohol the outcome is usually worse.

Street names for Rohypnol include rophies, ruffies, R2, roofenol, Roche,la rocha, rope, roopies, ropies, and rib.

Effects of Rohypnol on the Brain The benzodiazepines influence behavior by interacting with receptors onneurons in the brain that use the neurotransmitter called GABA. When GABA binds to receptors, it usually inhibitsa neuron and acts to reduce neuronal activity. When benzodiazepines attachto GABA receptors, they increase GABA binding to other receptors. In thisway, benzodiazepines enhance the effects of GABA and reduce brainactivity. Because there are receptors for benzodiazepines in the brain, it suggeststhat the brain may make its own type of benzodiazepine. The brain hasbeen found to make its own morphine, the endorphins, but the brain's own benzodiazepine has notyet been discovered.

HearIt

"Benzodiazepine"

"Endorphin"

"GABA"

"Rohypnol"

For moreinformation on Rohypnol, see: Fact Sheeton Rohypnol Facts on Rohypnol(Flunitrazepam) WSU Flunitrazepam- from the US Dept. Justice Rohypnol FactSheet - Haight Ashbury Free Clinics "GHB, Rohypnol take sedatives into the party scene," Seattle P-I,August 3, 1999.

GOTO:	Alcohol	Amphetamines	Caffeine	Cocaine
	Heroin	Inhalants	LSD	Marijuana
	Nicotine	Ecstasy	Rohypnol

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