Copyright 2010, 2015 by: Thomas “Birdy” McKee.
There
are things you can do to reduce your chances of being raped or sexually
assaulted. Do the following:
·
Be
aware of your surroundings — who’s out there and what’s going on.
·
Walk
with confidence. The more confident you look, the stronger you appear.
·
Know
your limits when it comes to using alcohol.
·
Be
assertive — don’t let anyone violate your space.
·
Trust
your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable in your surroundings, leave.
·
Don’t
prop open self-locking doors.
·
Lock
your door and your windows, even if you leave for just a few minutes.
·
Watch
your keys. Don’t lend them. Don’t leave them. Don’t lose them. And don’t put
your name and address on the key ring.
·
Watch
out for unwanted visitors. Know who’s on the other side of the door before you
open it.
·
Be
wary of isolated spots, like underground garages, offices after business hours,
and apartment laundry rooms.
·
Avoid
walking or jogging alone, especially at night. Vary your route. Stay in
well-traveled, well-lit areas.
·
Have
your key ready to use before you reach the door — home, car, or work.
·
Park
in well-lit areas and lock the car, even if you’ll only be gone a few minutes.
·
Drive
on well-traveled streets, with doors and windows locked.
·
Never
hitchhike or pick up a hitchhiker.
·
Keep
your car in good shape with plenty of gas in the tank.
·
In
case of car trouble, call for help on your cellular phone. If you don’t have a
phone, put the hood up, lock the doors, and put a banner in the rear mirror
that says, “Help. Call police.”
·
How
can I help someone who has been sexually assaulted?
·
You
can help someone who is abused or who has been assaulted by listening and offering
comfort. Go with her or him to the police, the hospital, or to counseling.
Reinforce the message that s/he is not at fault and that it is natural to feel
angry and ashamed.
The Date Rape
Drugs:
These
are drugs that are sometimes used to assist a sexual assault. Sexual assault is
any type of sexual activity that a person does not agree to. It can include
touching that is not okay; putting something into the vagina; sexual
intercourse; rape; and attempted rape. These drugs are powerful and dangerous.
They can be slipped into your drink when you are not looking. The drugs often
have no color, smell, or taste, so you can't tell if you are being drugged. The
drugs can make you become weak and confused — or even pass out — so that you
are unable to refuse sex or defend yourself. If you are drugged, you might not
remember what happened while you were drugged. Date rape drugs are used on both
females and males.
The three most
common date rape drugs are:
These
drugs also are known as "club drugs" because they tend to be used at
dance clubs, concerts, and "raves."
The
term "date rape" is widely used. But most experts prefer the term
"drug-facilitated sexual assault." These drugs also are used to help
people commit other crimes, like robbery and physical assault. They are used on
both men and women. The term "date rape" also can be misleading
because the person who commits the crime might not be dating the victim.
Rather, it could be an acquaintance or stranger.
Rohypnol
(roh-HIP-nol). Rohypnol is the trade name for flunitrazepam
(FLOO-neye-TRAZ-uh-pam). Abuse of two similar drugs appears to have replaced
Rohypnol abuse in some parts of the United States. These are: clonazepam
(marketed as Klonopin in the U.S.and Rivotril in Mexico) and alprazolam
(marketed as Xanax). Rohypnol is also known as:
Circles;
Forget Pill; LA Rochas; Lunch Money; Mexican Valium; Mind Erasers; Poor Man's
Quaalude; R-2; Rib; Roach; Roach-2; Roches; Roofies; Roopies; Rope; Rophies;
Ruffies; Trip-and-Fall; Whiteys.
GHB,
which is short for gamma hydroxybutyric (GAM-muh heye-DROX-ee-BYOO-tur-ihk)
acid. GHB is also known as:
Bedtime
Scoop; Cherry Meth; Easy Lay; Energy Drink; G; Gamma 10; Georgia Home Boy;
G-Juice; Gook; Goop; Great Chickens; Great Hormones; Great Loving; Grievous
Bodily Harm (GBH); Liquid E; Liquid Ecstasy; Liquid X; PM; Pussy Powder; Salt
Water; Soap; Somatomax; Vita-G.
Ketamine
(KEET-uh-meen), also known as:
Black
Hole; Bump; Cat Valium; Crystal Herion; Green; Jet; K; K-Hole; Kit Kat;Psychedelic
Heroin; Purple; Special K; Super Acid;
The
Characteristics of these Drugs are:
Rohypnol
comes as a pill that dissolves in liquids. Some are small, round, and white.
Newer pills are oval and green-gray in color. When slipped into a drink, a dye
in these new pills makes clear liquids turn bright blue and dark drinks turn
cloudy. But this color change might be hard to see in a dark drink, like cola
or dark beer, or in a dark room. Also, the pills with no dye are still
available. The pills may be ground up into a powder.
GHB
has a few forms: a liquid with no odor or color, white powder, and pill. It
might give your drink a slightly salty taste. Mixing it with a sweet drink,
such as fruit juice, can mask the salty taste.
Ketamine
comes as a liquid and a white powder.
The Body
Effects of these Drugs:
These
drugs are very powerful. They can affect you very quickly and without your
knowing. The length of time that the effects last varies. It depends on how
much of the drug is taken and if the drug is mixed with other drugs or alcohol.
Alcohol makes the drugs even stronger and can cause serious health problems —
even death.
Rohypnol
The
effects of Rohypnol can be felt within 30 minutes of being drugged and can last
for several hours. If you are drugged, you might look and act like someone who
is drunk. You might have trouble standing. Your speech might be slurred. Or you
might pass out. Rohypnol can cause a multitude of problems:
Can't
remember what happened while drugged; Confusion; Difficulty with motor
movements; Dizziness; Drunk feeling; Loss of consciousness (black out); Lower
blood pressure; Muscle relaxation or loss of muscle control; Nausea; Problems seeing and/or talking; Sleepiness;
Stomach
problems, and the possibility of Death.
GHB
GHB
takes effect in about 15 minutes and can last 3 or 4 hours. It is very potent:
A very small amount can have a big effect. So it's easy to overdose on GHB.
Most GHB is made by people in home or street "labs." So, you don't
know what's in it or how it will affect you. GHB can cause these problems:
Can't
remember what happened while drugged; Coma, Dream-like feeling; Drowsiness; Dizziness; Loss
of consciousness (black out); Nausea; Problems breathing; Problems seeing; Relaxation;
Seizures; Sweating; Slow heart rate; Tremors; Vomiting and the possibility of Death.
Ketamine
Ketamine
is very fast-acting. You might be aware of what is happening to you, but unable
to move. It also causes memory problems. Later, you might not be able to
remember what happened while you were drugged. Ketamine can cause these
problems:
Aggressive
or violent behavior; Convulsions; Depression; Distorted perceptions of sight
and sound; Dream-like feeling; Feeling out of control; High blood pressure;
Impaired motor function;
Loss
of coordination; Lost sense of time and identity; Memory problems; Numbness;
Out of body experiences; Problems breathing; Slurred speech, and Vomiting.
These Drugs
are brough and use by Criminals Illegally
Some
of these drugs are legal when lawfully used for medical purposes. But that
doesn't mean they are safe. These drugs are powerful and can hurt you. They
should only be used under a doctor's care and order.
Rohypnol
is NOT legal in the United States. It is legal in Europe and Mexico, where it
is prescribed for sleep problems and to assist anesthesia before surgery. It is
brought into the United States illegally.
Ketamine
is legal in the United States for use as an anesthetic for humans and animals.
It is mostly used on animals. Veterinary clinics are robbed for their ketamine
supplies.
GHB
was recently made legal in the United States to treat problems from narcolepsy
(a sleep disorder). Distribution of GHB for this purpose is restricted, and
more tightly controlled.
Alcohol can be
a date rape drug and there are other drugs as well
Any
drug that can affect judgment and behavior can put a person at risk for
unwanted or risky sexual activity. Alcohol is one such drug. In fact, alcohol
is the drug most commonly used to help commit sexual assault. When a person
drinks too much alcohol:
·
It's
harder to think clearly.
·
It's
harder to set limits and make good choices.
·
It's
harder to tell when a situation could be dangerous.
·
It's
harder to say "no" to sexual advances.
·
It's
harder to fight back if a sexual assault occurs.
·
It's
possible to blackout and to have memory loss.
The
club drug "ecstasy" (MDMA) has been used to commit sexual assault. It
can be slipped into a drink without that person's knowledge. Also, anyone who
willingly takes ecstasy is at greater risk of sexual assault. Ecstasy can make
a person feel "lovey-dovey" towards others. It also can lower a
person's ability to give reasoned consent. Once under the drug's influence, a
person is less able to sense danger or to resist a sexual assault. Even if a
victim of sexual assault drank alcohol or willingly took drugs, the victim is
NOT at fault for being assaulted. You cannot "ask for it" or cause it
to happen.
Do this to
protect yourself from being a victim of rape and/or sexual assault:
·
Don't
accept drinks from other people.
·
Open
containers yourself.
·
Keep
your drink with you at all times, even when you go to the bathroom.
·
Don't
share drinks.
·
Don't
drink from punch bowls or other common, open containers. They may already have
drugs in them.
·
If
someone offers to get you a drink from a bar or at a party, go with the person
to order your drink. Watch the drink being poured and carry it yourself.
·
Don't
drink anything that tastes or smells strange. Sometimes, GHB tastes salty.
·
Have
a non-drinking friend with you to make sure nothing happens.
·
If
you realize you left your drink unattended, pour it out.
·
If
you feel drunk and haven't drunk any alcohol — or, if you feel like the effects
of drinking alcohol are stronger than usual — get help right away.
There ways to
tell if you have been have been drugged and raped or assaulted
It
is often hard to tell. Most victims don't remember being drugged or assaulted.
The victim might not be aware of the attack until 8 or 12 hours after it
occurred. These drugs also leave the body very quickly. Once a victim gets
help, there might be no proof that drugs were involved in the attack. But there
are some signs that you might have been drugged:
·
You
feel drunk and haven't drunk any alcohol — or, you feel like the effects of
drinking alcohol are stronger than usual.
·
You
wake up feeling very hung over and disoriented or having no memory of a period
of time.
·
You
remember having a drink, but cannot recall anything after that.
·
You
find that your clothes are torn or not on right.
·
You
feel like you had sex, but you cannot remember it.
If you suspect
you’ve been drugged and raped:
Get
medical care right away. Call 911 or have a trusted friend take you to a
hospital emergency room. Don't urinate, douche, bathe, brush your teeth, wash
your hands, change clothes, or eat or drink before you go. These things may
give evidence of the rape. The hospital will use a "rape kit" to
collect evidence.
·
Call
the police from the hospital. Tell the police exactly what you remember. Be
honest about all your activities. Remember, nothing you did — including
drinking alcohol or doing drugs — can justify rape.
·
Ask
the hospital to take a urine (pee) sample that can be used to test for date
rape drugs. The drugs leave your system quickly. Rohypnol stays in the body for
several hours, and can be detected in the urine up to 72 hours after taking it.
GHB leaves the body in 12 hours. Don't urinate before going to the hospital.
·
Don't
pick up or clean up where you think the assault might have occurred. There
could be evidence left behind — such as on a drinking glass or bed sheets.
·
Get
counseling and treatment. Feelings of shame, guilt, fear, and shock are normal.
A counselor can help you work through these emotions and begin the healing
process. Calling a crisis center or a hotline is a good place to start. One
national hotline is the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.
Valuable Information for those victim in
the United States:
Information
on date rape drugs, 1-800-994-9662 www.womenshealth.gov
Or
contact the following organizations:
Drug
Enforcement Administration, DOJ Phone: (202) 307-1000, www.usdoj.gov/dea
Food
and Drug Administration, OPHS, HHS, (800) 332-4010 Hotline or (888) 463-6332
(Consumer Information), www.fda.gov
National
Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, HHS, (800)
662-4357 Hotline or (800) 662-9832 Spanish Language Hotline, www.drugabuse.gov
Office
of National Drug Control Policy, (800)
666-3332 (Information Clearinghouse)
Men
Can Stop Rape (202) 265-6530, www.mencanstoprape.org
National
Center for Victims of Crime (800) 394-2255, www.ncvc.org
Rape,
Abuse, and Incest National Network, (800) 656-4673 (656-HOPE), www.rainn.org
Remember
Rape is a crime! Any unwanter or
unwarranted sexual contact between two people ot 2 or more people is considered
a rape, in the eyes of Law Enforcement.
If you are a victim of Rape and/or Sexual Assault, remember that it was
not your fault, no person ever consents to a rape, EVER! - Bird
