What is rohypnol

1. What is Rohypnol?
Rohypnol is an intermediate-acting benzodiazepine with general properties similar to those of Valium
(diazepam). It is used in the short-term treatment of insomnia, as a pre-medication in surgical
procedures and for inducing anaesthesia.
Like other benzodiazepines (such as Valium, Librium and Xanax), Rohypnol's effects include
sedation, muscle relaxation, reduction in anxiety, and prevention of convulsions. However,
Rohypnol's sedative effects are approximately 7 to 10 times stronger than Valium. The effects of
Rohypnol appear 15 to 20 minutes after administration and last approximately four to six hours.
Some residual effects can be found 12 hours or more after administration.
Since the 1990s Rohypnol has been used illegally to lessen the depression caused by the abuse of
stimulants, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, and also as an aid for sexual assault. The so-
called “date-rape drug” was placed unknowingly in the drinks of victims, often at a bar or party (“club
drug”). Due to the strong amnesia produced by the drug, victims would have limited or no
recollection of the assault.
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Important information about Rohypnol
Rohypnol is not approved for medical use or manufactured in the United States and is not available
legally. However, it is legally prescribed in over 60 other countries and is widely available in Mexico,
Colombia, and Europe where it is used for the treatment of insomnia and as a pre-anesthetic.
Therefore, it was placed into Schedule IV of the Controlled Substances Act in 1984 due to
international treaty obligations and remains under that classification. Schedule IV drugs are
considered to have a lower abuse potential but can lead to physical or psychological dependence.
The penalties associated with the possession, trafficking, and distribution of Rohypnol are equivalent
to those of a Schedule I substance (Schedule I substances include heroin, marijuana, and MDMA).
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Rohypnol causes partial amnesia; individuals are unable to remember certain events that they
experience while under the influence of the drug. This effect is particularly dangerous when
Rohypnol is used to aid in the commission of sexual assault; victims may not be able to clearly recall
the assault, the assailant, or the events surrounding the assault.
Rohypnol use in the US, according to the 2010 Monitoring the Future Survey, has increased by 0.2
percent since 2009. However, use has been relatively stable from 1999 to 2010, with yearly use
estimates ranging from 0.6 to 0.9 percent of 8th to 12th grade respondents.
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It is difficult to estimate the number of Rohypnol-facilitated rapes in the United States. Very often,
biological samples are taken from the victim at a time when the effects of the drug have already
passed and only residual amounts remain in the body fluids. These residual amounts are difficult, if
not impossible, to detect using standard screening assays available in the United States. If Rohypnol
exposure is to be detected at all, urine samples need to be collected within 72 hours and subjected
to sensitive analytical tests. The problem is compounded by the onset of amnesia after ingestion of
the drug, which causes the victim to be uncertain about the facts surrounding the rape. This
uncertainty may lead to critical delays or even reluctance to report the rape and to provide
appropriate biological samples for toxicology testing.
Rohypnol, previously available as a white tablet that dissolved without color or taste, is now
formulated as a caplet that is light green with a blue core. The manufacturer instituted this change to
help identify tampered drinks at clubs. When dissolved in clear liquids the blue core will turn the

2. clear liquid to blue. However, when dissolved in darker-colored liquids, the blue dye may not be
noticeable. Generic versions of Rohypnol may not contain the blue dye.
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Abuse Potential
While Rohypnol has become widely known for its use as a date-rape drug, it is abused more
frequently for other reasons. It is abused by high school students, college students, street gang
members, rave party attendees, and heroin and cocaine abusers to produce profound intoxication,
boost the high of heroin, and modulate the effects of cocaine.
Teenagers and young males age 13 to 30 have been noted as the primary abusers of Rohypnol.
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Rohypnol is usually consumed orally, and is often combined with alcohol. It may also be abused by
crushing tablets and snorting the powder, or by dissolving prior to injection. Rohypnol abuse causes
a number of adverse effects, including drowsiness, dizziness, loss of motor control, lack of
coordination, slurred speech, confusion, and gastrointestinal disturbances, lasting 12 or more hours.
Higher doses may produce respiratory depression.
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Chronic use of Rohypnol can result in physical dependence and the appearance of a withdrawal
syndrome when the drug is discontinued. Rohypnol impairs cognitive and psychomotor functions
affecting reaction time and driving skill. The use of this drug in combination with alcohol is a
particular concern as both central nervous system depressants potentiate each other's toxicity.
Injection of any illegal drug puts the user at risk of contracting HIV (human immunodeficiency virus),
hepatitis B and C, and other blood-borne illnesses.
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Rohypnol is a tranquilizer about ten times more potent than Valium. The drug is available as a
white or olive-green pill and is usually sold in the manufacturer’s bubble packaging. Users crush
the pills and snort the powder, sprinkle it on marijuana and smoke it, dissolve it in a drink or
inject it.
ROHYPNOL EFFECTS
Rohypnol has been used to commit sexual assaults because it renders the victim incapable of
resisting, giving it the reputation of a “date-rape” drug.
Rohypnol users often describe its effects as “paralyzing.” The effects start twenty to thirty
minutes after taking the drug, peak within two hours and may persist for eight or even twelve
hours. A person can be so incapacitated (made unable to act) they collapse. They lie on the floor,
eyes open, able to observe events but completely unable to move. Afterwards, memory is
impaired and they cannot recall any of what happened.
The person experiences loss of muscle control, confusion, drowsiness and amnesia.
Rohypnol is sold in Europe and Latin America as a sleeping pill, but it is illegal in the United

3. Rohypnol
What are the street names/slang terms?
Date rape drug, La roche, R2, Rib, Roach, Roofenol, Roofies, Rope, Rophies, Ruffies, The forget
pill
What is Rohypnol?
Rohypnol is the brand name for a drug called Flunitrazepam, which is a powerful sedative that
depresses the central nervous system. Rohypnol is not legally available for prescription in the
United States, but is legal in 60 countries worldwide for treatment of insomnia.
What does it look like?
A small white tablet with no taste or odor when dissolved in a drink.
How is it used?
Rohypnol is swallowed as a pill, dissolved in a drink, or snorted. Roofies are frequently used in
combination with alcohol and other drugs. They are sometimes taken to enhance a heroin high, or
to mellow or ease the experience of coming down from a cocaine or crack high. Used with alcohol,
roofies produce disinhibition and amnesia.
What are its short-term effects?
The drug creates a sleepy, relaxed, and drunk feeling that lasts 2 to 8 hours. Other effects may
include blackouts, with a compete loss of memory, dizziness and disorientation, nausea, difficulty
with motor movements and speaking.
What are its long-term effects?
Rohypnol can produce physical and psychological dependence.
What is its federal classification?
Schedule IV