Essay on Date Rape Drugs

Drug use is a widespread problem which is still rampant among the population across the world. The commonly used drug among the adolescent and the youths is the date rape drugs. A date rape drug is a drug which is used during dating to make an individual vulnerable to sexual assaults as well as an attack ("What Are Date Rape Drugs and How Do You Avoid Them?," n.d.). They are used to distract a person so that they cannot know what is going on or cannot be able to defend themselves. There are various common types of date rape drugs. However, the most commonly used comprises of the following:

Rohypnol which is a drug which is prescribed to the persons with the anxiety and sleep disorders.It is commonly referred to as R-2 or roofies.

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB): It is the date rape drug which is usually prescribed to treat the narcolepsy. It is at times referred to as scoop, liquid E, and Cherry Meth.

Ketamine: it is normally used during the surgical procedure, and it is at times referred to as cat valium, special K, vitamin K, or Kit Kat,

Others which are commonly used comprise of the ecstasy, LSD, clonazepam, and alprazolam.

In their usage, there are various symptoms which can be recognized when one uses or ingest the drugs. In case of the Rohypnol, the effect is felt after 30 minutes of usage, and it causes slurred speech, dizziness, unconsciousness, loss of muscle control, confusion, nausea, memory loss and lowered blood pressure. In the case of GHB, the effect is felt by the users in the next 15 minutes after usage ("Symptoms and Effects of Date Rape Drugs," 2017). It comprised of dizziness and drowsiness, a feeling of relaxation, seizure, memory loss and nausea and vomiting. However, in the case of kamacite, the users tend to have the distorted perception of sight and sound, loss of coordination, having problems in breathing, numbness, high blood pressure, violent behavior, and convulsion ("Symptoms and Effects of Date Rape Drugs," 2017). These tend to affect the welfare of users hence leading to an incline in the manner in which people attend to their daily activities as well as their daily livelihood.

There are various effects of the date drugs to the body of the users. It is because they are very powerful and able to change the manner in which the body functions. Generally, the date drugs tend to cause drowsiness, causes a sedative effect on the body and slow the heartbeat rate. It normally causes an impaired judgment, loss of inhibition, and memory loss. It is the sole reason as to why these drugs are used in rape cases (May, 2011). In certain occasion, they are referred to as paralyzing since when used, they tend to cause a loss of muscle control hence makes the victim unable to call for help or move. In addition, the users can also feel strong conditions of emotional liability and they cause difficulty to the motor movements. These can cause a lot of problems to the users hence loss of welfare either in the short or long run.

At times, most people do not find it easy to distinguish the type of date rape drugs. However, to identify them, they are odorless, colorless, and tasteless. It may difficult to tell whether the drink one has taken had some content since they have no taste or color. The GHB is made in a powder and colorless or odorless liquids, Ketamine is made in the form of the liquid powder and capsule, and the Rohypnol comes in the form of a dime-sized pill which can dissolve in liquid, it is white, and if dissolved in a liquid, the liquid tends to turn blue (Haley, 2003). While using the Rohypnol, one can easily identify since it makes the liquid bluish.

Given that the drugs have a lot of negative effects on the users, there is a need for one to take deeper control and care when taking a drink. Some of the precautions comprise of the following:

Dont take drinks from other people whom you suspect one can do such an act to you.

Open the sealed containers yourself

Ensure you watch your drink being poured if you were to take it

If you were to go to the bathroom, please take the drink with you or empty it before you go.

Do not drink something which smells or taste odd

In case you have left your drink unattended, please pour it out.

In case you feel drunk after raking a small quantity of the drink, quit or seek help immediately. Do not wait.

It is good to know that the date rape can happen to anyone and no one is safe. So proper understanding of the symptoms and the signs of the drugs used to assists with the date rape and ways to protect yourself is quite paramount. In case you feel you have a feeling or you are a victim of sexual assault or date rape, please seek medical attention immediately. Do not change your clothes or bathe before going to the hospital for check-up and collection of evidence. Expose the perpetrators by revealing everything you can remember to the police.

References

Date Rape Drug: List and Side Effects. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.medicinenet.com/date_rape_drugs/article.htmHaley, J. (2003). Date rape. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

May, S. (2011). Date rape drugs. New York: Chelsea House.

Symptoms and Effects of Date Rape Drugs. (2017, June 8). Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/date-rape-drugs#get-help6

What Are Date Rape Drugs and How Do You Avoid Them? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/what-are-date-rape-drugs-and-how-do-you-avoid-them

Wilson, N. R., Thomas, E., Routh, J. L., Interactive Educational Media, & Educational Video Network, Inc. (2000). Date rape. Huntsville, Tex.: Interactive Educational Media.