Warning: This sort depicts imagery and real stories concerning sexual assault, drug abuse, rape, and nudity.
Roofieing, also known as “date rape,” is a term for the act of using drugs to incapacitate or sedate an individual without their knowledge or consent, usually for the purpose of sexual assault or rape. The drugs used in roofieing are often tasteless, odorless, and colorless, making it difficult for the victim to detect. Alcohol is the most common substance used to perpetrate drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA). DFSA can happen to anyone, by anyone, whether the perpetrator is an intimate partner, stranger, or someone they’ve known for a while.1
With recent reports and concerns concerning roofies in the greater Ada community, it is important to learn more about what roofieing is.
Harold Schueler, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor of Forensic Biology at Ohio Northern, spoke more about the background of roofies. Dr. Shueler, who is being promoted to Associate Professor in August, 2023, received his undergraduate degree from Kenyon College. He later achieved his graduate degree from the University of Cincinnati in Biochemistry, where soon after he started working at the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office for nine years in Cincinnati. Dr. Schueler then worked for 15 years in the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office in Fort Lauderdale where he worked on numerous DFSA cases.
He says, “Roofieing is known as drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) in the field of forensic science. It used to be called, ‘slipping someone a Mickey,’ or also called a ‘Mickey Finn.’ They would put a drug in someone’s drink to incapacitate them, usually with the intent of sexual assault.”
DFSA cases have risen in popularity in recent years. Evidence shows that 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men have been sexually assaulted while in college. Numerous studies have shown that drug or alcohol-related sexual assaults on college campuses are more frequent than forcible sexual assaults.2
“While I was working at a Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office, we only had two or three cases of DFSA a year, but, by the time I left, we had hundreds of cases. The number of DFSA’s have increased significantly and continue to do so.”
The most commonly used drugs in roofieing are benzodiazepines, such as Rohypnol, and gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), and antidepressants like ketamine. These drugs work by depressing the central nervous system, causing sedation, relaxation, and a loss of inhibitions. They also impair memory formation and can cause amnesia, making it difficult for the victim to recall events that occurred while under the influence of the drug.
“The drugs being used have also increased. Most are the benzodiazepines, like Xanax or clonazepam, both of which I have personally encountered – both federally and in other jobs. The most popular benzodiazepine used to be Rohypnol, but popular manufacturers, such as Roche, who produce such abused drugs have added blue dye to prevent tampering since 1999,” Dr. Schueler comments.
Rohypnol’s popularity began to rise in the 1990s. It was known as a remarkably potent sedative with strong abuse potential. It produces a highly inebriated state, during which users will often engage in activities they normally would not. Rohypnol is 10 times more potent than Valium and is currently a schedule IV controlled substance. Possession of this drug is a third degree misdemeanor and selling it is a fourth degree felony.
Once the drug wears off, most users have little or no recollection of what transpired while under its influence. Rohypnol, especially when combined with other drugs such as alcohol or marijuana, can throw the body into a depressed state. This can lead to a coma, in which the body slows down to the point that vital functions cease and death results. Before 1997, Rohypnol was produced as a white tablet that was colorless, odorless and tasteless when it was mixed in drinks.3
Although Rohypnol is readily soluble in liquids, it has since been manufactured with an additive that alters them when it is added. Clear liquids turn blue, while darker liquids become cloudy and a precipitate forms on the surface. Even so, universities across America are still reporting rapes that occurred after the administration of Rohypnol to unsuspecting victims. But several versions of the drug that do not contain the blue dye are still made available to people who misuse this drug.4
“These are central nervous system suppressant drugs, or CNS suppressant drugs. These are typically used for anxiety, depression, manic depression, but again, they all function to be CNS suppressant, so they cause some sort of drowsiness. When you give it in large enough quantities, in an alcoholic beverage, as I mentioned, it can knock somebody out. The average onset of action, which is highly variable, can differ from 20 minutes up to maybe an hour. But the duration of action can be anywhere from an hour to four hours. Depending on the dose, an individual has been reported to be out for 12 hours before. Benadryl, ketamine, fentanyl, muscle relaxers, and ecstasy can also be used in varying doses. There are a lot of drugs that can be used for DFSA that you wouldn’t think could. There is a long list.”
Dr. Schueler recalls an old federal case he worked on and the situation involving DFSA.
“I worked on this case that took place in Miami years back. These group of men advertised a modeling opportunity, so they brought girls in from out of state, and while they were interviewing them, they put something in their drink. It was later determined that the drink contained Alprazolam. They then would photograph them in compromising positions.”
It is highly variable how abusers obtain these medications. For example, Rohypnol is a depressant sold as an over-the-counter sleep aid in Mexico. Due to its harmful side effects, the drug has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in this country.5
Dr. Schueler also comments on how these can be obtained. “I have been involved in cases where people were physicians who had access to these medications, or sometimes they got ahold of these drugs through illicit avenues, mainly because you can order quite a lot through the internet. It is worth mentioning that GHB is something you cannot get as a prescription, but instead a chemically licensed website. Now, this does not necessarily mean that abusers are in higher positions. A lot of these individuals will just use what they can get.”
Salon, 2014.
The symptoms of roofieing can vary depending on the drug used and the dosage. Common symptoms include drowsiness, confusion, impaired coordination, slurred speech, impaired memory, and slowed breathing. The onset of symptoms can occur within 10 to 20 minutes after the drug is ingested, and the effects can last for several hours.
In some cases, the victim may experience more severe symptoms, such as loss of consciousness, respiratory depression, seizures, and coma. In rare cases, overdose of the drug can lead to death.
“The whole idea is when you put benzodiazepines in with an alcoholic beverage, you get a synergistic effect between the drugs, so it is going to be a much more significant reaction than the benzodiazepine alone, or the alcohol. It is multiplicative; it is going to be significantly greater. So it knocks people out to the point where they do not know or they feel like something has happened to them but they have a sort of retrograde amnesia. GHB was also a really big date-rape drug and used quite often, and that has more of a retrograde amnesia effect than the benzodiazepines – a dream-like state.”
There are different severities depending on the drug of choice used on the victim. Although it is commonly confused, Dr. Schueler says being roofied is not comparable to “blacking out.” He reports additional effects can be experienced, but the prevalent adverse effect is the dream-like state mentioned earlier.
But these drugs do not have to be mixed with alcohol to have the same effect.
“In a past case, there was a physician who was spiking spaghetti with clonazepam. He was sprinkling clonazepam into the spaghetti sauce and feeding it to unsuspecting women. He would then sexually assault the women.”
If you suspect that you have been roofied, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. A healthcare professional can perform tests to detect the presence of the drug in your system and provide treatment for any symptoms you may be experiencing. It is also important to report the incident to law enforcement and seek support from a mental health professional to address the emotional impact of the experience.
“I was involved in a case in Cleveland where the female victim was having difficulty pursuing this report of roofieing, because she was a heroin addict. She admitted to heroin and alcohol. I have had cases where people have been on marijuana, cocaine, etc.
It is expected that you will have been drinking alcohol, so when we screen these DFSA cases, we do not care that alcohol is present. Some people believe that, because they have been using other drugs and alcohol all on board, that they will be looked at differently and people can report them, and say, ‘Well, you put yourself in this position anyways because you had been drinking and using other drugs,’ but the fact of the matter is, at least the way I feel, it does not matter what the individual does. What is important is what is given to them beyond their knowledge. That is what is important. So I never take into consideration what they say they have taken, but instead, I always look at if there is something they did not take, that should not be there, and that is what we need to focus on.”
Do not be embarrassed, especially as a student, if you have been participating in illegal activities and feel as if you cannot report due to this. Many survivors have strong feelings of self-blame after drug-facilitated sexual assault. They may feel that their choice to drink or to use drugs put them in a dangerous situation that led to the assault. It’s important to remember that if a sexual assault occurs under these circumstances, it is still not your fault. When you choose to use drugs or alcohol, you are not choosing to be sexually assaulted. The blame for this crime falls ONLY on the perpetrator.5
To prevent roofieing, it is important to be vigilant about your surroundings and never leave your drink unattended. Be cautious of accepting drinks from strangers or individuals you do not know well, and trust your instincts if you feel uncomfortable. To avoid this, only consume drinks from sealed containers. Once open, don’t leave a beverage unattended.
Dr. Schueler offers some parting advice:
“It can be very quick for someone to slip something into your drink. You should always be watching your drink the entire time. If you have to go someplace, make sure someone else is watching your drink. If you see something usual about your drink, like any filler or powder at the bottom, do not drink it. One of the things that is a challenge in DFSA cases, is typically when someone is drugged, they do not report it right away – but time is of the essence. Once you try to get a older sample, a blood or urine sample, then the drug has usually cleared. That’s why GHB was popularly used, because it would clear more rapidly than a benzodiazepine.”
“From a forensic standpoint, it is much better to collect a urine sample the moment you think you’ve been drugged. It can even be something you can collect yourself if you cannot get to an official reporter to collect it. The earliest sample is the best sample. The challenge for [forensic examiners] is trying to analyze a urine or blood sample three days after the fact. We then have to tell the individual that nothing was detected, but that does not mean they were not drugged, but it is just typically already excreted from the body. If you have the drink itself, that is even better because you can match the drink to the suspected drug.”
Surreptitiously administering any drug to a person, and then taking advantage of his/her impaired state to engage in sexual conduct, constitutes RAPE under Ohio law. Education and awareness about the risks of roofieing can also help to prevent this type of sexual assault and keep individuals safe.
These drugs are all around you. It is not only sold deep in Mexico or on the blackmarket. Most any drug can provide these effects when used inappropriately. Here at Northern Review, we find it important for our students and readers to know the safety concerns impacting our community.
Be safe out there, Polar Bears.