Culture - Why is Rohypnol cursed as "the date rape drug" and banned in the US?

[Stimulants]

Some articles describe Rohypnol as a scary, dangerous drug being "ten times stronger than diazepam" simply because 1mg is equivalent to 10mg diazepam.
In the same context, it would make Klonopin and Xanax 20 times stronger than diazepam.

All that means is that a proper dosage is different, not that the drug is any stronger when taken in a proper dosage.

Flunitrazepam is not particular soluble in water or diluted alcohol, like most other benzodiazepines. Like the rest of them, it causes sedation that is amplified when used in conjunction with alcohol.

So, I would think that any sedative hypnotic can be used as a date rape drug... so why are they singling out Rohypnol and banning its use in the US?

So, is the ban based on public perception, or are there pharmacological characters of Rohypnol that is unique from all the other benzos?

[tyranny4u]

So, is the ban based on public perception, or are there pharmacological characters of Rohypnol that is unique from all the other benzos?

Flunitrazepam is halogenated at a certain position of the molecule, which
makes it a very potent drug. Furthermore BD that are halogenated at the
phenyle ring tend to be more amnesic and the sedative effects will be
stronger.

Flunitrazepam derives from Nimetazepam, Nimetazepam derives from Nitra-
zepam.

i try to explain with that picture SWIM made:



Nitrazepam, which is a not so potent hypnotic becomes more sedative
when a CH3 group is attached (red check). the new substance is Nime-
tazepam (Erimin). Nimetazepam is a bit more potent, but when the mo-
lecule gets halogenated with fluorine (blue check) it becomes a very
strong hypnotic.
Another example is Alprazolam <-> Triazolam. Alprazolam gets halogenated
at the same position (with chloride), and now you have Triazolam, one of
the most potent hypnotics.

Using fluorine for halogenating BD is very uncommon, i don't know any
other BD which is halogenated with fluorine at the phenyl group from all
the BD that are on the market.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	Excellent explanation!
	Good info
	great explanation!

[Stimulants]

[quote=tyranny4u;553742]Flunitrazepam is halogenated at a certain position of the molecule, which
makes it a very potent drug. Furthermore BD that are halogenated at the
phenyle ring tend to be more amnesic and the sedative effects will be
stronger.

Flunitrazepam derives from Nimetazepam, Nimetazepam derives from Nitra-
zepam.

i try to explain with that picture SWIM made:



Nitrazepam, which is a not so potent hypnotic becomes more sedative
when a CH3 group is attached (red check). the new substance is Nime-
tazepam (Erimin). Nimetazepam is a bit more potent, but when the mo-
lecule gets halogenated with fluorine (blue check) it becomes a very
strong hypnotic.
Another example is Alprazolam <-> Triazolam. Alprazolam gets halogenated
at the same position (with chloride), and now you have Triazolam, one of
the most potent hypnotics.

Using fluorine for halogenating BD is very uncommon, i don't know any
other BD which is halogenated with fluorine at the phenyl group from all
the BD that are on the market.

<removed> /quote]

I believe Quazepam contains fluorine as well.

What would be a chlorinated derivative of nimetezepam with the methyl group? clonazepam is chlorinated nitrazepam, but I don't think I've seen a nimetezepam with chlorine.

[tyranny4u]

I believe Quazepam contains fluorine as well.

yes, you are right. Quazepam is a very special BD in it's structure:
Sulphur instead of Oxygene near first N in the ring.
Where many BD's have a methylene group or simply Hydrogenium
there is an ethylene group which has 3 Fluorine atomes bound to the
second Carbone.
SWIM never got his hands on this, seems not to be a common one...
SWIM really would like to try this one, just like some other exotic
BD )

Reputation Comments on this post:

some great images and input in this thread

[davestate]

Is it also because it is very soluble in water, unlike most benzos?

[SmokeRings]

Man, SWIM used to get handfulls of this stuff in the early 90's, she sure did love the stuff! SWIM certainly had her fair share of blackouts on the stuff, but it was always self-induced. Apparently she was completely awake, alert and having a good ole time too, from what her friends told her!
Unfortunately slimebags in America began to slip it into people's drinks at bars and clubs and it quickly became someone's mission to ban the substance. SWIM has no idea who, if she'd take a second to google it, she could probably tell ya!
She always quite enjoyed it, although there were a few blackouts that kind of scared her, waking up in a strange place is no fun! Luckily SWIM was never victim (that she knows of, hahaha) of sexual assault during an accidental overdose (to SWIM, a blackout is an OD).
SWIM imagines she'd still partake if it were available here! A moment of silence for our friend, Rohypnol...

[tyranny4u]

Using fluorine for halogenating BD is very uncommon, i don't know any
other BD which is halogenated with fluorine at the phenyl group from all
the BD that are on the market.

In Japan there is fluorinated Prazepam on the market, SWIM guess this Stuff is da
sh*t!

info:
h**p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flutoprazepam

[Stimulants]

Midazolam
Yet another fluorinated BZD, and it is polar, and water soluble.

[tyranny4u]

Originally Posted by Stimulants

Midazolam
Yet another fluorinated BZD, and it is polar, and water soluble.

yes, because it is Midazolam HCl, a Salt, while almost any other BD don't
are salts.

[BiatX]

because especially flunitrazepam mixed with alcohol leads often to "blackouts", I mean amnesia....

Reputation Comments on this post:

Not really useful

[Stimulants]

Originally Posted by BiatX

because especially flunitrazepam mixed with alcohol leads often to "blackouts", I mean amnesia....

Any BZDs and/or alcohol in sufficient quantity will lead to amnesia.
GHB wasn't really illegal until recently, and only after it made the media, so it was politics that banned it.

[BiatX]

Originally Posted by Stimulants

Any BZDs and/or alcohol in sufficient quantity will lead to amnesia.
GHB wasn't really illegal until recently, and only after it made the media, so it was politics that banned it.

Yes thats true.... but in superior cases it is Flunitrazepam, especially if mixed with alc.

The possibility to get amnesia even at low-doses Fluni + alc is higher than with the most Benzos + alk or Benzo monoconsume.

[OsCarwild]

um its considered the date rap drug cause a a lot of people use it to rape girls since it strongly sedates them and makes them lose their inhibitions.

[Stimulants]

Originally Posted by OsCarwild

um its considered the date rap drug cause a a lot of people use it to rape girls since it strongly sedates them and makes them lose their inhibitions.

It's a benzodiazepine. Sedative hypnotic property is not something exclusive to Rohypnol. The #1 date rape drug is alcohol.

I don't think it has anything to do with the pharmacological properties, but politics.

[soma]

So does flunitrazepam differ much (in effects) from alprazolam? Alprazolam is highly amnesic and it has been known to be dropped into drinks (as a date rape drug). However, SWIM doubts it will ever be banned... too many Americans take it

[youandmeandrainbows]

SWIM's boyfriend took over ten "roofies" to get high and ended up stabbing himself in the chest with a 10inch hunting knife after crashing his car into a pile of rocks. The wound resulted in a punctured and collapsed lung and him spending almost a week in the hospital.

He doesn't remember anything after taking the rohypnol...

SWIM took one of the pills prior to the incident with her boyfriend and didn't feel she took enough to feel any effects.

[tyranny4u]

So does flunitrazepam differ much (in effects) from alprazolam?

yes, flunitrazepam effects are mainly hypnotic while alprazolam is an
anxiolytic drug.

[tyranny4u]

Re: Why is Rohypnol cursed as "the date rape drug" and banned in the US?

tt didn't like to edit his post above, cause he wanted to write an extra
posting about the question that the threadstarter has put in the title.

personally tt doesn't believe in the "date rape story". why?
Rohypnol and Flunitrazepam generics just were responsible for many (yes,
many) deaths of heroin junkies and methadone patients. when the bar-
biturates weren't prescribed anymore, flunitrazepam was one of the
strongest substances to give junkies an extra strong feeling of being
"spaced out". too many people died because of consuming a strong opiate
plus flunitrazepam plus alcohole. but that wasn't written in the news-
papers, to not give <Roche> a bad reputation. Sure, the date rape thing
also had it's part in the story, but never was the main reason.
spontaneously tt could tell five substances that are not so hard to get
and being perfect as a date rape drug, as well. some of them even
better than flunitrazepam.
when flunitrazepam hit the german street scene, especially in the sum-
mer, it was absurd to see people trying to walk, stumbling every third
step, falling into the broken glass of their own beer bottle.
that was why roche and manufacturers reduced the dosage from 2 mg
per pill to 1 mg per pill, otherwise rohypnol would have been scheduled
the same class as opiates, cocaine and amphetamine in germany.
tt personally knew 2 people dying of an OD, flunitrazepam was invol-
ved. and one girl died in winter, laying the whole night pressed her
back against the heater, but she didn't wake up and died of 3rd degree
burns.

[Stimulants]

SWIM has never experienced amnesia from flunitrazepam in the dosage of 4mg. SWIM has however experienced an en bloc blackout from THC + alcohol combo.

[WaggyRock]

SWIM took 1 mg of Rohypnol and it was quite pleasant. It was a long-lasting xanax or valium feeling but I didn't get all loopy like the media suggests. I'm sure enough will go a long way though and with booze I'm sure they get stronger as well.

[sandoz1943]

SWIM used to like roofies. One feels almost like the old Qualudes Lilly 714 (OMG I'm old) but like you want just a little more. Second pill might feel better but SWIM could never remember if she had a good time or not. Suggest do not mix with GHB or N2O or both. SWIM has mixed in the past but has no idea what happened.