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TV Station KDKA Pittsburgh, PA News Report
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General
Information:
There are three
major groups of drugs used in drug rape and other drink-spiking crimes:
These drugs, when taken
inadvertently, can have serious consequences including coma and death.
Gamma
Hydroxybutyrate (GHB)
GHB is a central nervous
system depressant abused for its ability to produce euphoric and
hallucinatory states and, as some believe, acts like an anabolic steroid
to stimulate muscle growth.
GHB takes effect within
10-20 minutes and lasts 1-3 hours.
Other street names for GHB
are Grievous Bodily Harm, Georgia Home Boy, Scoop, Great Hormones at
Bedtime, Soap, Easy Water, G-Riffick, Cherry Meth, Organic Quaalude, Jib,
Liquid Ecstacy, Liquid X, the Easy Lay, Goop and Gamma-oh.
Many people have adverse
reactions to GHB. These effects can include disinhibition, sedation,
hallucinations, desire to sleep, rambling speech, giddiness, silliness,
difficulty thinking, slurred speech, loss of bladder control and passing
out. The effects of an overdose can include deep sedation from which you
cannot be awakened for about three hours, seizures, sudden and dangerous
drop in blood pressure, heart rate or breathing, coma and death. The
effects of GHB are exacerbated when taken with alcohol or other drugs.
This makes it especially dangerous when used to spike an alcoholic drink.
Ketamine
Ketamine, or ketamine
hydrochloride, is an anesthetic intended primarily for veterinary
purposes. Its primary use is in surgery for small animals and has also
been used in human medicine for pediatric burn cases, in dentistry and in
experimental psychotherapy. Ketamine is a liquid and its most potent
medical use is by injecting it intramuscularly or intravenously.
Some of the street names
for Ketamine are K, Ket, Special K, Vitamin K, Vit K, Kit Kat, Keller,
Kelly's day, Green, Blind squid, Cat valium, Purple, Special la coke,
Super acid and Super C. Slang for the K-hole include K-land, baby food and
God.
The effects and dosages
above assume that Ketamine is not mixed with alcohol or other drugs. In
club or rave settings, overuse of ketamine has been known to cause
collapses and lead to catatonic states. It is not a social drug like
ecstasy and is, in fact, a depressant. Among other undesirable effects are
nausea, vomiting and giddiness. In large doses and in combination with
other central nervous system depressants, it can depress respiration and
lead to death. Victims of drink spiking are especially at risk as they may
be “on” other drugs while they ingest ketamine unknowingly.
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines (benzos,
for short) are a class of drug commonly known as tranquillizers and
sleeping pills. The most common benzos (with some brand names in brackets)
are Alprazolam (Xanax), Broazepam (Lexotan), Chlordiazepoxide (Librium),
Clobazam (Frisium), Clonazepam (Rivotril), Diazepam (Valium),
Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), Lorazepam (Ativan), Nitrazepam (Mogadon),
Oxazepam (Serepax), Temazepam (Nocturne) and Triazolam (Halcion). Among
these, the two best known are Valium and Rohypnol. Rohypnol is seven to
ten times stronger than Valium and so we shall limit our comments on
benzos to Rohypnol—although all of the benzos can be used to commit
drug-rape crimes and most of the comments about Rohypnol apply to all of
them.
Street names for Rohypnol
include Roofies, Roaches, R-2s, LaRocha, Mexican valium, Rope, Rib, Roach
and Roofenol. |
