Why are Rohypnol and GHB called “sexual assault related” drugs?
Rohypnol and GHB have been called “sexual assault related” drugs because of their potential to cause blackouts and amnesia at high doses. In the past decade, cases of sexual assault and rape by gangs of men where victims were sedated by Rohypnol or GHB have been reported. The drugs have been reportedly used at gang initiation rites. In response to the abuse of Rohypnol and GHB, the Drug-Induced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act of 1996 was enacted into federal law. This law makes it a crime to give someone a controlled substance without a person’s knowledge and with intent to commit a violent crime. The law also stiffens the penalties for the possession and distribution of Rohypnol and GHB.
