What is the extent of use of Rohypnol?
In the United States, Rohypnol is used widely in Texas where it is popular among high school students. Rohypnol is reported to be readily available in the Miami area, and epidemiologists from that area have stated that it is South Florida’s fastest growing drug problem. Additional reports from Miami indicate that the largest and fastest growing groups of Rohypnol users are high school students who take the drug with alcohol or use it after cocaine ingestion. Two common misperceptions about Rohypnol may explain the drug’s popularity among young people: first, many erroneously believe that the drug is unadulterated-and therefore “safe”-because it comes in pre sealed bubble packs; second, many mistakenly think its use cannot be detected by urinalysis testing. Illicit use of Rohypnol originated in Europe in the 1970s and has increased worldwide since then. However, the substance did not appear in the United States until the early 1990s. In 1992, a South Florida hotline began receiving call
