Rohypnol - How Is It Taken?

How Is It Taken?

Rohypnol comes in pill or tablet form or as a solution to be injected. The pill or tablet is swallowed, chewed, or put under the tongue to dissolve slowly. Less commonly, it is crushed and snorted or dissolved and injected. It is also added to marijuana and smoked. Rohypnol comes in doses of 1 or 2 milligrams. It affects the user rather quickly, within fifteen to twenty minutes, and the effects last anywhere from eight to eighteen hours.

A Life-Saving Dye

In response to the trend of criminals slipping Rohypnol into the drinks of unsuspecting victims, Rohypnol manufacturer Hoffmann-La Roche added a dye to the Rohypnol tablet. When this reformulated tablet is dropped into a drink, a bright blue color is released. The dye alerts the victim that his or her drink has been tampered with. However, many predators are aware of the dye and may order a blue cocktail for their victims or seek out victims with bluish-colored mixed drinks. Tropical drinks such as the Blue Hawaii are made with curaçao (KYOOR-uh-soh or KYOOR-uhsow), a bright blue liqueur with an orangey taste.

Rohypnol is approved for use and sale in dozens of countries. It is typically smuggled into the United States, where it is sold on the street or in clubs in its original packaging. Many users think it is safe because it comes individually wrapped in the manufacturer's packaging and looks like other drugs sold by prescription or at the drugstore. However, any substance taken for recreational use involves risks, such as overdose or even death, especially if mixed with other

A pharmaceutical worker is shown operating a drug-packaging machine. Rohypnol is made and prescribed legally in Europe and Latin America, but is illegal in the United States. Smugglers sell the drug on U.S streets and in clubs, often in its ori
A pharmaceutical worker is shown operating a drug-packaging machine. Rohypnol is made and prescribed legally in Europe and Latin America, but is illegal in the United States. Smugglers sell the drug on U.S streets and in clubs, often in its original packaging. AP/Wide World Photos.

drugs like alcohol. Poor substitutes for Rohypnol can be found in the United States and are passed off to the buyer as the real thing. Taking these substitutes can be even more dangerous than taking the original, as the contents of the drug are unknown.

Sexual offenders and other criminals have found that they can slip crushed Rohypnol pills into a victim's drink without the victim knowing. The drug dissolves somewhat in liquid and cannot be tasted, smelled, or even seen. As the victim consumes the drink, the drug incapacitates him or her, which allows the criminal to take action. This series of events has been known to occur at group gatherings, where people may not be keeping a constant eye on their drinks.