National Rape Evidence Project

State Laws

Statutes of limitation for prosecuting rape and/or sexual assault (criminal)
Statutes of limitation for prosecuting rape and/or sexual assault (civil)

Rape Drugs
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Some rapists use drugs to overpower their victims. Below are listed some common sedation drugs.

Rohypnol is the brand name for flunitrazepam, a benzodiazepine drug in the same family of medications as Valium and Xanax. However, unlike those other drugs, Rohypnol has never been approved for any medical use in the United States. It is illegal to manufacture, distribute, or possess Rohypnol in the United States.

What are the effects of Rohypnol?
Rohypnol is a potent sedative. The physical effects of the drug may be noticeable within 15 to 30 minutes after ingestion. The effects may last for many hours.

Rohypnol may cause drowsiness, confusion, impaired motor skills, dizziness, disorientation, disinhibition, impaired judgment, and reduced levels of consciousness. You may look and act like someone who is drunk. Your speech may be slurred, and you may have difficulty walking. Or you may be rendered unconscious.

It is very dangerous to mix Rohypnol with alcohol or other drugs. The combination can produce extremely low blood pressure, respiratory depression, difficulty breathing, coma, or even death . Rohypnol also may produce complete or partial amnesia about the events that occur after it is ingested.

What does Rohypnol look like?
When Rohypnol is smuggled into this country, it is usually in tablet form. The pills are white and round, smaller than a dime. They are often distributed in their original packaging -- foil-backed, clear plastic "blister-packs" or "bubble packs." Sometimes the packages may be opened and the pills may be ground up or crushed into a powder. Rohypnol is occasionally found in liquid form.

If Rohypnol is dropped into a drink, it may dissolve and become "invisible."

How is Rohypnol being used/abused?
Across the country, there are reports of people "dosing" other people without their knowledge by dropping whole or crushed Rohypnol tablets into a drink. The drink can be a soda, juice, punch, beer, or any alcoholic beverage. When Rohypnol is dissolved in a drink, it is colorless, tasteless, and odorless. You cannot see it, taste it, or smell it. Therefore, if you consume a "dosed" drink, you are likely to be totally unaware that you are being drugged.

What are some of the street names for Rohypnol?
Roofies, Rophies, Roaches, Forget Pill, Poor Man's Quaalude, Lunch Money (referring to the drug's low price on the street), Pappas or Potatoes (referring to the mental capacity of someone under the influence of the drug), Whiteys, Dulcitas, Negatives or Minuses (referring to the markings on the 1 mg. tablets), R-2s, Roach-2s, Circles, Rope, Rib, Trip-and-Fall, Mind-Erasers, Mexican Valium.

Is it against the law to possess or use Rohypnol?
As of March 1999, it is illegal to possess or distribute Rohypnol in the United States. Rohypnol is a controlled substance in Schedule IV of the Federal Controlled Substances Act. It has never been approved for any medical use in this country. Rohypnol is sold as a prescription drug in other countries and smuggled into the United States. In 1996, Congress passed the Drug-Induced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act. Under federal law, as of March 1999, simple possession of Rohypnol is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine. The distribution/administration of Rohypnol to another person without that person's knowledge and with the intent to commit a crime of violence is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine. In addition to the federal law, in some states, possession and misuse of Rohypnol is also a violation of state laws.

-911rape.org reprinted with permission

GHB
What is GHB?
GHB is gamma-hydroxybutyrate. It has been tested for potential medical uses in the United States but has never been approved for any use outside of FDA-approved research trials. GHB has been promoted as a growth hormone stimulant for body building, although the efficacy of this use has never been documented. In 1990, the FDA issued a warning to consumers to stop using GHB because of its numerous deleterious effects.
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What are the effects of GHB?
GHB is a powerful synthetic drug that is rapidly metabolized by the body. The effects of the drug can be felt within 15 minutes after ingestion.

The adverse effects of GHB may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, disorientation, seizures, respiratory depression, intense drowsiness, unconsciousness, and coma. GHB can also cause anterograde amnesia (memory deficit for the events following ingestion).

When GHB is ingested with alcohol and/or other drugs, the consequences may be life-threatening. Without immediate and appropriate medical care, the combination can be fatal.

Two characteristics of GHB make it especially dangerous: First, most of the GHB being used today is the "home-grown" variety made by nonprofessionals in their own street labs or kitchens by mixing various chemical ingredients, including solvents and caustic soda. Home-brewed GHB can be especially dangerous. There are significant differences in the purity, concentration, and potency of various batches. The same amount taken from two different batches may have very different effects. The second reason GHB is particularly dangerous is that there is a very narrow margin between the dose that will produce intoxication effects and the amount that will induce the serious and harmful effects described above.
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What does GHB look like?
GHB is most commonly made in a clear liquid form that is colorless and odorless. It has also been produced as a white crystalline powder.

-911rape.org reprinted with permission

What can I do to protect myself?
While nothing is ever truly safe, and if you become a rape survivor, the act was not your fault, there are some precautions to take to help reduce the risk of rape.