Whatever drug that alters a person's consciousness in a fashion that makes cocky-defense or sound decision-making hard can exist a appointment rape drug.

Almost estimates suggest that at least 25 percentage or 1 in iv of American women accept been sexually assaulted or raped. Someone the victim knows, sometimes with the assistance of a date rape drug, commits most rapes.

Knowing the most mutual appointment rape drugs, their side effects, and the signs of a perpetrator planning to employ one can prevent victimization.

Person dropping pill into an alcoholic drink, spiking it with a date rape drug Share on Pinterest
Alcohol and benzodiazepines are commonly used date rape drugs, as they may cause concrete weakness and loss of consciousness.

Date rape drugs make a sexual assault, including rape easier in one or more ways, such as:

  • making a victim more compliant and less able to say no
  • weakening a victim and then they are unable to resist or fight back
  • making a victim fully or partially unconscious
  • weakening a victim'southward inhibitions, so they consent to sexual activity they may otherwise decline

Any drug that changes a potential victim's state of heed, including some prescription drugs, street drugs such every bit heroin, and popular drugs such as marijuana, can exist a date rape drug.

The virtually common engagement rape drugs are:

Alcohol

Alcohol is the most pop and most readily available date rape drug. About half of acquaintance rapes involve alcohol consumption by the perpetrator, victim, or both. On higher campuses, which are a common setting for rape, alcohol-related rape is peculiarly mutual.

Booze lowers a person's inhibitions, makes victims less enlightened of their surround and is ofttimes readily consumed by victims. It can also spur aggressive beliefs by rapists and increase their willingness to harm others.

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are a grade of anti-anxiety drugs that can also cause people to feel sleepy. A number of these drugs, including Xanax (alprazolam) and Klonopin (clonazepam), tin exist used as engagement rape drugs.

The most popular benzodiazepine engagement rape drug is Rohypnol (flunitrazepam). Rohypnol causes a victim to feel very relaxed, weakens their muscles, and may cause loss of musculus control. Some victims lose consciousness or experience dizzy and confused.

Afterwards Rohypnol wears off, some victims do not remember what happened. Rohypnol comes in pill course but can be dissolved in liquid, such equally an alcoholic potable.

Ketamine

Ketamine is an anesthetic that acts quickly to cause feelings of relaxation. Victims may lose consciousness or be confused and compliant. They might not think what happened while nether the influence of the drug.

Different most other date rape drugs, ketamine acts nigh immediately. A victim may not have fourth dimension to realize they have been drugged.

At high doses, ketamine tin cause breathing problems that may be fatal.

Ketamine comes as a white powder that may change the gustation of someone's drink. Consequently, perpetrators sometimes utilize information technology in potent-tasting alcoholic beverages that may disguise the drug'south presence.

GHB

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is a drug form of a neurotransmitter that naturally occurs in the body. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that assistance fretfulness transport and receive signals.

GHB slows activity in the primal nervous organisation, making users feel groggy, sleepy, and potentially confused.

At low doses, GHB tin cause nausea and airsickness. At higher doses, it can cause loss of consciousness, seizures, difficulty seeing, and the inability to recall what happened when drugged.

GHB is easy to overdose on and is often manufactured in abode "labs." Consequently, victims may get extremely ill subsequently existence drugged with GHB and information technology can be fatal.

GHB is a colorless, odorless liquid and so a victim may have no thought they have been drugged.

Other engagement rape drugs

Any drug that changes a victim's consciousness tin can be used to facilitate engagement rape.

In some cases, the victim might even ingest the drug willingly. A person who uses heroin, for case, may be and then intoxicated that they do not realize a perpetrator is attempting to rape them.

People who apply drugs should, therefore, avoid taking them around sure acquaintances or in settings that might facilitate date rape.

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Feeling confused, losing consciousness, or not remembering recent occurances, are all potential signs of having been drugged.

A person who has recently accepted a beverage from some other person, even a friend, or who has left their drink unattended should be cautious.

Some signs to watch for include:

  • feeling drunk despite non having drunk whatsoever booze
  • feeling confused or disoriented
  • losing consciousness
  • non remembering how you got somewhere
  • beingness unable to remember anything after drinking
  • waking up feeling confused, hungover, or unable to call back the night earlier
  • genital or urinary pain and difficulty remembering what happened
  • torn clothes

Date rape drug or astringent intoxication?

Information technology can exist hard to distinguish the effects of a date rape drug from those of alcohol, particularly later consuming large quantities of liquor.

People who are accepted to the furnishings of alcohol should consider how they commonly experience after drinking or when intoxicated. An unexplained change in a person's reactions to alcohol could hateful a date rape drug is involved.

A person who feels significantly drunker than usual should consider the possibility that they have been drugged. The simply way to know for sure is to seek medical testing.

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If a person suspects they have been drugged, they or a friend should call 911 and ensure they are in a safe location.

It is possible to lose consciousness chop-chop, so a person should non waste time trying to find the perpetrator or researching whether their symptoms friction match those of a appointment rape drug.

Instead, they should immediately tell a trusted friend that they suspect they may have been drugged. They or a friend should call for emergency help by dialing 911 then get themselves to a safe place.

They may desire to inquire a friend for a ride home or become to a public location and tell someone about the drugging.

Next, they should seek emergency medical care. Date rape drugs go out the body within a few hours, leaving no trace. Later on going to the emergency room or calling 911, a person should tell the doctor, nurse, or dispatcher that they may take been drugged and request immediate testing.

A person who wakes up to signs they may have been drugged must besides seek emergency medical care. A hospital can apply a rape kit to test for signs of sexual assault. If the police catch a perpetrator, this kit can exist used to prove their guilt.

To preserve evidence, a potential victim should avoid showering or bathing until after the exam is complete.

A person who thinks they may have been a victim of a sexual assault may want to consider contacting their local rape crisis center. The center may be able to ship a victim advocate to the hospital or offering phone counseling. To find a rape crisis eye, click here.

Some elementary strategies can protect against engagement rape drugs:

  • Avoid drinking large quantities of alcohol around strangers.
  • Adopt the buddy arrangement, always get out with a friend and look out for one some other.
  • Never go out a drink unattended.
  • Never have a drink from a stranger.
  • Never go out somewhere with a stranger, particularly after drinking.

Engagement rape is never the victim's mistake, nonetheless many victims feel guilty or aback. That guilt tin can prevent them from seeking medical care or reaching out for support to help them recover.

Rapists are the only people responsible for rape.

By interim rapidly when a person thinks they might have been drugged or raped, they can protect themselves, assistance to take hold of the perpetrator, and potentially mitigate the dangerous effects of date rape drugs.