The Cadre + 3 November 1998

By RUTH FREEMAN

Liquid Ec: , Griev- ous Bodily Harm, Lay, Special K, Mind Eraser, Party Poppers, Roofies.... Sound like the play-list from an alter- native rock station? Don’t kid yourself. For thousands of university women across North America, it’s more like chemi- cal warfare.

If you’ ve studied chem- istry, you might call them ae hydroxybutyrates,

enzodiazepines or flunitrazepam. For the major- es of us who are chemistry- challenged, they are known simply as date drugs.

They look innocent enough, sort of like aspirin — small, white tablets that dis- solve easily in liquid and are odourless, tasteless, and col- ourless. Their effects, how- ever, are far from innocent: quick intoxication, impaired judgement and coordination, drowsiness, dizziness, disori- entation, hot and cold flashes, and memory loss.

Their characteristics make them the perfect acces- sory for the modern date ra ist. Simply slip one ina girl’s Coke, and eight hours later she’ll wake up in a strange place with no clothes and no memory of how she got there orwith whom. Within 24 hours, the drug will be untraceable in her system. Try cen a rape charge under those cir- cumstances.

A Florida police officer told the Miami Times, “it’s almost like the perfect crime,

Date rape drugs revealed

because they don’t have to worry about a witness testify- ing against them. She can’t by the time she’s tested for the drug, it’s long gone from her system. And don’t think these guys aren’t figuring that out.” so soa _ common of

is Rohypnol, which first ake an - ance in Florida in the earl 1990s. Although the drug is illegal in many countries, in- cluding Canada and the United States, it is easily available in Mexico where it is used as a surgical anaesthetic and sleep- ing aid.

Shipments of the drug are smuggled across the US- Mexico border into Texas, and from there distributed around the country and, within the last few years, into Canada. Date rape drugs have been turning upat high schools and on cam- puses across the country.

Are date rape drugs on the Island?

“There is no reason to believe that they [the drugs] are not here. They are every- where else,” according to Cor- poral Veinot of the RCMP detachment in Montague. “We

dealt with a sexual assault case

recently which may well have

been the result of one of these

drugs, but there is no way to e it.”

Anne Nicholson, Coor- dinator of the PEI and Sexual Assault Crisis Centre says that numerous rts made to the crisis line indicate the presence of date rape

“A woman may have one drink, yet the e on her system and memory are so great that you know there is something more at work here than one drink of alcohol,” Nicholson said.

Sounds bleak, but there is some good news.

In an impressive show

of corporate responsibility, the company that produces Rohypnol (Hoffmann- LaRoche Ltd.) is in the proc- ess of adding a blue dye to the tablets to make them easier to identify, and they have removed the 2 milligram dosage from the world-wide market. As well, more and more police departments and hospital emer- gency rooms are becoming aware of the importance of immediate testing for the pres- ence of date rape drugs in those reporting sexual assaults. This has resulted in an increas- ing number of successful pros- ecutions of rapists. Aware- ness is the best defence.

By now there should be lots ofred warning lights flash- ing in your head, so here are some tips on how to stay safe from date rape drugs.

Feature 7

Would you like to Improve Your Writing Skills? Writing coaches from the Faculty of Education are available

Monday -Thursday from

Bring your essay and they will give you free advice on the writing process. Room 106, Robertson Library For further information, contact Linda Meggs

566- 0440 e-mail address: Imeggs@upei.ca

UL. EB T a ea

University of Prince Edward Island 550 University Avenue C1A 4P3