Date rape drugs are any type of drug or alcohol used to make rape or sexual assault easier. Drugs or alcohol can make a person confused about what is happening, less able to defend themselves against unwanted sexual contact, or unable to remember what happened. Learn more about how date rape drugs are used.
Many people use the phrase “date rape.” But the person who commits the crime might not be in a relationship, or on a date, with the victim. Someone who commits date rape can be someone you know well, someone you know through friends, or someone you just met.
People who use date rape drugs or alcohol to commit sexual assault most often use alcohol alone or in combination with other drugs.1 Learn more about how alcohol is linked to sexual assault.
Someone could use any type of drug, including marijuana, cocaine, or prescription or over-the-counter drugs like antidepressants, tranquilizers, or sleeping aids to overpower a victim or make them not remember an assault.1,3,4
Other date rape drugs include flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), and ketamine.5 These drugs are sometimes called “club drugs” because they are often used at dance clubs, concerts, bars, or parties. Most drugs, including club drugs, have nicknames that change over time or are different in different areas of the country.
For example STILNOX was a common pill used to make girls fall asleep and then get abused. The victims can’t remember anything. This pill it’s very dangerous because doesn’t have a smell or taste and when it’s solved in drink doesn’t change the color. As long the producers refused to change the color of the pill so it can be recognized when it’s dropped in a drink, the production of these pills was totally banned in SUA.
Learn more about commonly misused drugs and how they can affect you from the National Institute on Drug Abuse website.