In the 1950s it was commonly know as slipping someone a Mickey Finn. By the mid-1980s it was called H-Bombing: prostitutes slipped the sleeping pill Halcion into a customers drink and robbed them after they would pass out. But the recent introduction of the illicit doping drugs, rohypnol promises to take the dangerous practice of doping unsuspecting victims into new depths. Today I am going to talk about rohypnol or other wise known as the “date rape drug”. I will tell you what it is, its effects, and the steps people can take to avoid rohypnol.
According to the May 98 issue of Clinical Pediatrics, rohypnol is a sedative-hypnotic benzadiazepine manufactured by the Hoffman La Roche Company in Europe and Latin America, and is prescribed in those places for treatment of anxiety and insomnia. Although the drug is not manufactured or prescribed in the United States, it is homemade or smuggled into the country and distributed.
Rohypnol is the trade name for the drug flunitrazepam a benzadiazepine which is a central nervous system depressant like Valium but 10 time more potent. The marketed drug looks like aspirin, but has a single or cross-scored on one side with ROCHE spelled across it with the number 1 or 2 encircled underneath it on the other side. The drug is a 1 or 2 mg pill that is shipped in bubble packaging or blister packs that appear very similar to aspirin also. Street prices one-milligram tablet is $1and $5 for a two-milligram tablet. Street names for rohypnol are roche, la roche, rope, roofies, rib, ruffies, stupefi, and the most common the date rape drug. When dissolved in alcohol, soft drinks, water, or any other liquid the drug is colorless, odorless, and tasteless.
Because of this rohypnol can easily be slipped into the drink of an unsuspecting sexual assault victim by an assailant. The result is that the victim remembers nothing of the sexual assault or that they knew something was happening but could not do anything about it. Effects of rohypnol begin within 20 minutes after ingesting then last up to 8 to 24 hours. Rohypnol intoxication is generally associated with impaired judgment and impaired motor skills, and the combination of alcohol and rohypnol is also especially hazardous together because their effects on memory and judgments are greater than effects from either of them taken alone. Other effects include visual impairment, drowsiness, confusion, decreased blood pressure, memory impairment, gastrointestinal disturbances and urinary retention.
Nyquil has many side effects when miss used or when recommended dosage is exceeded. The consumer is not to use this product with any other products containing acetaminophen. Nervousness, dizziness, and sleeplessness are all side effects of this product. It causes drowsiness and can cause excitability in children. This is not to be taken if you have heart disease, asthma, emphysema, thyroid disease, diabetes, glaucoma, high blood pressure, breathing problems, excessive phlegm (mucus), chronic bronchitis, persistent or chronic cough, cough associated with smoking, and difficulty in urination due to enlargement of the prostate gland. Nyquil is also not to be taken if you consume more then 3 alcoholic drinks every day. Acetaminophen may cause serious liver damage.
Let’s begin with the structure. The structure of Atenolol is as follows: its chemical formula is C14H22N2O3, its relative molecular mass is 266.3g, and its chemical name is (RS)-4-(2-hydroxy-3-isopropylaminopropoxy)phenylacetamide. The physical appearance of the drug itself is a white colored powder that is odorless. The way atenolol, as well as other beta-blockers, work, is that they affect the different beta-recptors located within the human body. Every human has a certain number of beta-receptors located throughout the body, in places such as the heart, lungs, brain, etc. When a person takes a dose of atenolol, it reacts with the beta-receptors to either calm anxiety or treat blood pressure, without altering a person’s actions.
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a depressant that affects the central nervous system. It was first created in the 1920’s and was under development as an anesthetic agent in the 1960’s. GHB is produced naturally in the human body in very small amounts, but its purpose or function is unclear. The drug came on the scene recently as a club drug at all-night dance parties and raves. GHB causes both an intense, euphoric high and sometimes it even causes hallucinations. GHB has caused many young people to require emergency medical care. Because the liquid is odorless and colorless, GHB diluted in drinks is virtually undetectable and sometimes is slipped unknowingly into someone else's drinks. This is why the drug got the nickname of the “date rape drug” because would-be rapists would slip the drug into an unsuspecting victim’s glass and then take advantage of their compromised state.
Many of the problems associated with early sobriety do not stem directly from psychoactive substances. Instead they are associated with physical and psychological changes that occur after the substances have left the body. When a person regularly uses psychoactive drugs, the brain undergoes physical changes to cope with the presence of drugs in the body. When the drugs are removed from the body, the brain craves the drugs that it has become accustomed to and as the brain attempts to rebalance itself without the presence of psychoactive drugs the person often experiences feelings of confusion, pain, and discomfort. The symptoms that are experienced immediately after stopping drug use are called acute withdrawal.
The fifteenth century was a gruesome era in world history. Church and state were not separated which caused many problems because the Church officials were often corrupt. The story of Joan of Arc, portrayed by George Bernard Shaw, impeccably reflects the Church of the 1400’s. Joan, a French native, fought for her country and won many battles against England. But Joan’s imminent demise came knocking at her door when she was captured by the English. She was charged with heresy because the armor she wore was deemed for men only but she justified her actions by stating that God told her to do it. Today, Joan of Arc would be diagnosed schizophrenic because of the voices in her head but she would still be respected for serving in the military. But in the fifteenth century, she was labeled as nothing more than a deviant. She was tried and the Inquisitor characterized her as a beast that will harm society. Through his sophistic reasoning, loaded diction, and appeals to pathos and ethos, the Inquisitor coaxed the court into believing Joan was a threat to society and she had to pay the ultimate price.
These effect will appear a few hours after usage and disappear in hours or days: Physical effects like, numbness, muscle weakness and trembling, rapid reflexes, increased blood pressure, heart rate, and temperatures, impaired motor skills and coordination, dilated pupils, nausea and sometimes seizers.
The date rape drug rohypnol, otherwise known as “roofies” is a major issue today on college campuses everywhere. This drug is an illegal drug, which is an accomplice to many rapes occurring everywhere around the country. Assailants dissolve a few tablets of roofies in a drink and give it to an unaware victim. The victim drinks the contents and, within twenty to thirty minutes, begins to feel the effects of the drug. Among other effects, roofies is a sedative and muscle relaxant, and causes amnesia. (Acute Care) When used with alcohol or other drugs, the effects are even more rapid. Assailants often will rape or sexually assault the victim once they have become affected by the drug since the unconscious victims will not be able to put up a fight. Victims may also wake up in an unfamiliar or dangerous situation after the drug loses its effect. (undergrad)
...minophen (NIH).” Additionally, Hydroxyurea (Droxia) is prescribed that diminishes the rate of recurrence of pain and acute chest-syndrome in patients.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), has announced to recategorize the over the counter drug known as Kratom, as a Schedule 1 drug. Kratom is a natural substance made from leaves from Mitragyna speciosa, a Southeast Asian tree. Kratom has been known to successfully treat opiate addiction, treat pain, combat depression, fight anxiety, and much more. Some users have stated that they were able to use Kratom as a step down drug; claiming it assists recovering opiate addicts, heroin addicts, and other users get off harder prescription drugs. Schedule 1 drugs are defined as drugs that have no current medical purpose and/or have a high potential for abuse. Schedule 1 drugs consists of drugs like LSD and heroin. As the drug has become more popular
Rohypnol is lethal when mixed with other substances such as alcohol or other drugs. Amnesia is the most common side-effect of Rohypnol. Other common side effects include relaxation or sedation of the body, vomiting and headache. (www.brown.edu) This often happens because it is attacking the central nervous system. This is also because it is causing the muscles to relax. Not only are there short term effects but there are also damaging long term effects. Some long term effects are unconsciousness and even death. Another big effect is amnesia. What causes this is it affects the central nervous system to slow down or to just shut down completely. Again this is affect the muscles. There are other similar drugs related to rohypnol. Some of these drugs include XTC and Ketamine. These drugs are known as “date rape
Many drugs are available for the treatment of epilepsy, several of which have just recently been released, such as Perampanel which is the first of a new class of drugs. It appears to cause an excitatory response in the brain, and offers relief for drug addiction as well as epilepsy patients (Simon). There are many other relatively new drugs, and medical researchers are constantly developing more. All anti-epileptic drugs act as anticonvulsants. There are several anti-epileptic drugs like phenytoin, carbamazepine, and divalproex, which are considered the front-line drugs—the ones doctors try first; if patients do not respond well to them, doctors will move on to other drugs (Simon).
The War on Drugs is a lost cause. The United States has spent hundreds of billions of dollars and lost thousands of lives. The result is any adult or child with a couple measly dollars can purchase any existing illegal drug almost anywhere in the country (Greer 6/24/98). The emergence of a new designer drug (a combination of two existing drugs) "ecstasy," which is the most common street term for the illicit drug MDMA (+/-3,4Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), has brought a fatal blow to the War on Drugs. The "love drug," as MDMA is sometimes referred to, has spread from its previously isolated dwellings within the darkness of the "rave" scene (a rave is an all-night illicit dance party), into high schools across the United States and Canada. "Police say the manufacture, smuggling, and availability of ecstasy are booming" (Oh 4/24/00). The tremendous increase of ecstasy use is due to its escalating social acceptability, the perceived safety of the drug, and the influence of peer testimonies. This dramatic proliferation of the use of "X" is something that urgently needs to be addressed.
Steroids became an option to athletes in the Olympics and other major sporting events during the 1950’s. But this use of steroids among athletes only became widely apparent when Canadian sprint runner Ben Johnson tested positive for steroid use after winning the gold medal for the one hundred-meter dash during the 1988 Olympics (Francis, 45). Now a skinny fifteen-year-old can just walk down to the local gym and find people who either sell or know how to get in contact with those who sell the drug that will make him envious of his friends. Steroids are an attractive drug. While steroids seem harmless to the unaware user, they can have a risky effect. Most of the time whether the users are new or experienced, they do not know the dangerous consequences steroids can have on their bodies and their minds. Though steroids cause a relatively insignificant number of deaths in our society, the banning of steroids is justified because steroids have a lot of side effects not known to the uninformed user.
The altered states of consciousness produced by drugs presents an all-to-common phenomenon in today’s society. Whether the desired sensation comes in the form of energy, a means of relaxation, or pain reduction, many people go to great lengths and present their bodies to threatening conditions in order to achieve this euphoric “high.” Unfortunately, the use of these drugs very often comes with dangerous side effects that users must learn to manage with for the rest of their life. According to neuroscientists, our entire conscious existence bases itself off of the lighting-fast reactions occurring in our nervous system (Nichols, 2012). Therefore, changing these neurological reactions can permanently effect our conscious being (Blatter, 2012). The physical and neurological effects from the use and abuse of stimulants, sedatives, hallucinogens, organic solvents, and athletic performance enhancing drugs will be discussed in order to better comprehend why certain individuals expose themselves to such dangerous materials with seemingly no regard to the permanent consequences associated with such actions.
Doping is a practice that has been going on since the time of "ancient Greek athletes, who supposedly ate herbs, sesame seeds, dried figs, and mushrooms for this purpose" (Hoberman, 1992, 104). Likewise, athletes have readily consumed such drugs as caffeine and alcohol to improve performa...