What The "Roofie" Drug Can Do

So when I'm on the computer and I need to be doing things, I usually just browse Buzzfeed instead. For those of you who are obsessed with Buzzfeed like me, you'll understand thing. For those of you who are not, don't do it. It will consume you.

Anyways, I was browsing the site and happened upon an article about a girl's experience being drugged with roofies, otherwise known as the date rape drug. Luckily for this particular girl, she was with a group and was unharmed. But she spoke about the aftermath of the situation. She found herself on a flight home from her vacation with literally no memory of how she got on the plane. The previous four hours of her life had been erased from her memory forever. If it was not for her loyal companion, who knows what could have happened to her? We discussed many different types of drugs in class, and this idea of chunks of time being completely erased from your memory seemed frightening and fascinating to me. So, I did a little research.

Flunitrazepam is the scientific term for the roofie drug. The drug is a hypnotic, sedative, anticonvulsant, muscle-relaxing concoction. A small prescription dose of this drug is meant to treat insomniacs.

When this drug, a strong depressant, is slipped into someone's drink, therefore being mixed with alcohol, it becomes dangerously effective. The drug releases GABA (we talked about this earlier in class), which slows and relaxes the body. Sedation, intoxication, and amnesia follow. The drug usually causes a victim to have difficulty of speech and movement and eventually pass out. This, unfortunately, is why many men use it to take advantage of women. The effects of the drug usually lasts around eight hours and completely blocks any memory of events during most of that time period (similar to the memory loss that comes with the consumption of alcohol, but much more severe), so many victims may not even realize they are victims!

So, girls, please be careful when you are drinking! Especially when you are around strangers! Never leave your drink unattended, and if you do, do not drink it. Even if you think this could never happen to you, it is so important to understand the risks and the possibilities, because it really could happen to anyone. Please be careful and if your drink tastes funny or is an odd shade, do not drink it. Please be careful!!!