Rohypnol
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
Appearance
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.
Effects
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 these problems:
- Muscle relaxation or loss of muscle control
- Difficulty with motor movements
- Drunk feeling
- Problems talking
- Nausea
- Can’t remember what happened while drugged
- Loss of consciousness (black out)
- Confusion
- Problems seeing
- Dizziness
- Sleepiness
- Lower blood pressure
- Stomach problems
- Death
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.
