Date Rape.htm

Date Rape Drugs

Date Rape..

When people think of rape, they might think of a stranger jumping out of a shadowy place and sexually attacking someone. But it's not only strangers who rape. In fact, about half of all people who are raped know the person who attacked them.

Most friendships, acquaintances, and dates never lead to violence, of course. But, sadly, sometimes it happens. When forced sex occurs between two people who already know each other, it is known as date rape or acquaintance rape.

Even if the two people know each other well, and even if they were intimate or had sex before, no one has the right to force a sexual act on another person against his or her will.

Girls and women are most often raped - one in three women will be sexually assaulted in her life. Guys can also be raped, though: 7% to 10% of rape victims are male.

Even though rape involves forced sex, rape is not about sex or passion. Rape has nothing to do with love. Rape is an act of aggression and violence.

You may hear some people say that those who have been raped were somehow "asking for it" because of the clothes they wore or the way they acted. That's wrong: The person who is raped is not to blame. Rape is always the fault of the rapist. And that's also the case when two people are dating - or even in an intimate relationship. One person never owes the other person sex. If sex is forced against someone's will, that's rape.

Healthy relationships involve respect - including respect for the feelings of others. Someone who really cares about you will respect your wishes and not force or pressure you to have sex.

What are date rape drugs?

These are drugs that are sometimes used to assist a sexual assault. Sexual assault is any type of sexual activity that a person does not agree to. It can include inappropriate touching, vaginal penetration, sexual intercourse, rape, and attempted rape. Because of the effects of these drugs, victims may be physically helpless, unable to refuse sex, and can't remember what happened. The drugs often have no color, smell, or taste and are easily added to flavored drinks without the victim's knowledge. There are at least three date rape drugs:

• GHB (gamma hydroxybutyric acid)
• Rohypnol (flunitrazepam)
• Ketamine (ketamine hydrochloride)

Although we use the term "date rape," most experts prefer the term "drug-facilitated sexual assault." These drugs have been used to help people commit other crimes, like robbery and physical assault, and have been used on both men and women. drugs look like?

• GHB has a few forms: a liquid with no odor or color, white powder, and pill.
• Rohypnol is a pill and dissolves in liquids. New pills turn blue when added to liquids. However, the old pills, with no color, are still available.
• Ketamine is a white powder.

ffects do these drugs have on the body?

The drugs can affect you quickly. The length of time that the effects last varies. It depends on how much of the drug is taken and if the drug is mixed with other substances, like alcohol. Alcohol can worsen the drug's effects and can cause more health problems. Also, one drug — GHB — can be made by people in their homes, so you don't know what's in it.

GHB

GHB can cause these problems:

• relaxation
• drowsiness
• dizziness
• nausea
• problems seeing
• unconsciousness (black out)
• seizures
• can't remember what happened while drugged
• problems breathing
• tremors
• sweating
• vomiting
• slow heart rate
• dream-like feeling
• coma
• death

Rohypnol

Rohypnol can cause these problems:

• can't remember what happened while drugged
• lower blood pressure
• sleepiness
• muscle relaxation or loss of muscle control
• drunk feeling
• nausea
• problems talking
• difficulty with motor movements
• loss of consciousness
• confusion
• problems seeing
• dizziness
• confusion
• stomach problems

Ketamine

Ketamine can cause these problems:

• hallucinations
• lost sense of time and identity
• distorted perceptions of sight and sound
• feeling out of control
• impaired motor function
• problems breathing
• convulsions
• vomiting
• out of body experiences
• memory problems
• dream-like feeling
• numbness
• loss of coordination
• aggressive or violent behavior
• slurred speech Are these drugs legal ?

Some of these drugs are legal, but that doesn't mean they're not going to hurt you. Even if they're legal, you should not use them unless your health care provider prescribes them.

• Rohypnol is NOT legal It is legal in Europe and Mexico and prescribed for sleep problems and as an anesthetic (medicine given during surgery so you don't feel pain).
• Ketamine is legal in the U.S. for use as an anesthetic for humans and animals. It is mostly used on animals. Veterinary clinics are robbed for their Ketamine supply.
• GHB was recently made legal in the U.S to treat problems from narcolepsy (a sleep problem).

While GHB, rohypnol, and ketamine are considered "date rape drugs," there are other drugs that affect judgment and behavior, and can put a person at risk for unwanted or risky sexual activity. Alcohol is one of those drugs. When a person is drinking alcohol:

• It's harder to think clearly and evaluate a potentially dangerous situation.
• It's harder to resist sexual or physical assault.
• Drinking too much alcohol can also cause black-outs and memory loss.

But remember: even if a victim of sexual assault drank alcohol, she is NOT at fault for being assaulted.

HOW CAN I PROTECT MYSELF FROM BEING A VICTIM?

• Don't accept drinks from other people.
• Open containers yourself.
• Keep your drink with you at all times, even when you go to the bathroom.
• Don't share drinks.
• Don't drink from punch bowls or other large, common, open containers. They may already have drugs in them.
• Don't drink anything that tastes or smells strange. Sometimes, GHB tastes salty.
• Have a non-drinking friend with you to make sure nothing happens.
• If you think that you have been drugged and raped:
• Go to the police station or hospital right away.
• Get a urine (pee) test as soon as possible. The drugs leave your system quickly. Rohypnol stays in the body for several hours, and can be detected in the urine up to 72 hours after taking it. GHB leaves the body in 12 hours.
• Don't urinate before getting help.
• Don't douche, bathe, or change clothes before getting help. These things may give evidence of the rape.
• You also can call a crisis center or a hotline to talk with a counselor. . Feelings of shame, guilt, fear and shock are normal. It is important to get counseling from a trusted professional.
• Plan your journey or night out, arranging your journey to-and-from home.
• Make sure someone knows where you are going and what time you will be home.
• When going to a pub, club or party avoid going alone. Friends can watch-out for each other.
• Appoint a nominated drink watcher (your non-drinking driver?). Alcohol does affect your actions and reactions, as well as your ability to be alert. Take care.
• Stay aware of what is going on around you & away from situations you do not feel comfortable with.
• Never accept a drink from anyone you do not completely trust.
• Do not share or exchange drinks.
• Don't leave your drink unattended, even when going to the toilet.
• Drugs can be put in soft drinks, tea, coffee, hot chocolate etc., as well as alcohol. There are a number of drugs that could be used to incapacitate you; the majority will not be easily detectable in a drink.
• Drinking from a bottle and keeping your thumb over the top is a good idea. Just remember that if you leave it unattended you may not be able to see if anything has been put in it.
• If you return to your drink and it has been moved, looks different, appears to have been topped-up, or tastes strange; don't take a chance.
• Consider very carefully whether you should leave the pub, club or party with someone you have just met.
• If you begin to feel really drunk after only a drink or two, seek help from a trusted friend, or a member of the club or pub management. It is important to get to a place of safety as soon as possible.
• Consider very carefully whether you should leave the pub, club or party with someone you have just met. You must be sure you have absolute trust in the person you are asking for help, no matter how long you have known them.
• This can happen to men as well as women.

There are a number of practical steps you can take to reduce the risk of drug assisted sexual assault: You cannot expect to remember a long list of prevention advice, every time you go out. Just be aware.

If something does not seem quite right, guard against the possibility of it happening to you or one of your friends.

Getting Help

Unfortunately, even if someone takes every precaution, date rape can still happen. If you're raped, here are some things that you can do:

• If you're injured, go straight to the emergency room - most medical centers and hospital emergency departments have doctors and counselors who have been trained to take care of someone who has been raped.
  
• Call or find a friend, family member, or someone you feel safe with and tell them what happened.
  
• If you want to report the rape, call the police right away. Preserve all the physical evidence. Don't change clothes or wash.
  
• Write down as much as you can remember about the event.
  
• If you aren't sure what to do, call a rape crisis center. If you don't know the number, your local phone book will have hotline numbers.

Don't be afraid to ask questions and get information. You'll have lots of questions as you go through the process - such as whether to report the rape, who to tell, and the kinds of reactions you may get from others.

Rape isn't just physically damaging - it can be emotionally traumatic as well. It may be hard to think or talk about something as personal as being raped by someone you know. But talking with a trained rape crisis counselor or other mental health professional can give you the right emotional attention, care, and support to begin the healing process. Working things through can help prevent lingering problems later on.

Please forward this to everyone you know, especially girls. Be careful when you're out and don't leave your drink unattended. Please make the effort to forward this on to all you know. Please inform all your female friends and relatives.

Forward this to every one you knows......