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Date rape drugs:
What every college woman needs to know
Despite the growing prevalence of date
rape drugs such as GHB and Rohypnol
on college campuses, students can pro
tect themselves against drug-induced
sexual assault.
By Dan Holbert
It’s Friday night, time to wind down, go danc
ing and enjoy socializing. You might be at a club,
party or social event where both alcoholic and
non-alcoholic beverages are served. You are with
people you know, and some new acquaintances,
so you are feeling comfortable. Someone, at some
point in the evening, secretly drops a drug like
Rohypnol or GHB into your drink. The drug is
odorless, colorless, and usually tasteless when it
dissolves, so you do not notice it. As you contin
ue to consume your drink, the drug begins to
take its effect. You feel extremely intoxicated,
weak, and helpless. This effect may lead to a state
of unconsciousness and when you wake up, you
have no recollection of what happened. You are
vulnerable to being raped or sexually assaulted.
In America, 27 % of women between ages 15
24 have been victims of rape or attempted rape.
In 8 % of these cases the rapist administered
some form of tranquilizer, not including alcohol,
to his victim.
GHB and Rohypnol, commonly known as
ruffles, are the most frequently used date rape
drugs. The pharmaceutical manufacturer Hoff
man-La Roche produces ruffles in Mexico, South
America, and Europe for use as a sleep aid. No
legal market for ruffles exists in the United
States. GHB and Rohypnol lack color, odor, and
flavor, and dissolve readily in liquid. GHB exists
in both liquid and powder form. Ruffles in pill
form can be easily mistaken for aspirin. The
symptoms of both drugs include impaired judg
ment, loss of inhibition, dizziness, blackout, and
amnesia. People affected by date rape drugs ap
pear extremely intoxicated, regardless of how
• ••••••••••••••
much they’ve actually had to drink. Since these
drugs can cause blackouts and amnesia, they fre
quently protect the attacker’s identity from his
victim.
Most rapists choose a bar or a social party to
administer the drug to a woman. In these situa
tions, a pill or small amount of powder can easily
be placed into a person’s drink. Women can
greatly reduce their risk of drug-induced rape—
and close the window of opportunity that rapists
need—by following a few simple guidelines:
• Don’t put your drink down, for any reason.
• Don’t accept open drinks, and avoid punch
bowls or coolers of jungle juice.
• In bars, only accept drinks from the bartender or
server.
• Be alert to the behavior of friends, and have
them watch you. Be extremely wary of anyone
who appears overly drunk after consuming only
a small amount of alcohol.
• Make and keep plans regarding with whom you
will leave the party or bar, and at what time.
If you wake up and suspect you are the victim
of drug-induced rape, there are several things to
remember. First, refrain from showering,
bathing, douching, changing clothes, or straight
ening up the scene of the crime. All of these ac
tivities destroy medical and legal evidence. If you
decide to report the incident, first call the police,
then go to the hospital to have medical evidence
collected. This generally involves a physical
exam and a urine analysis to test for evidence of
date rape drugs. The efficacy of the urine test de
pends largely on the time between administra
tion of the drug and testing. Date rape drugs usu
ally leave the system within 72 hours, so waste
as little time as possible. Testing for pregnancy
and STIs, as well as information regarding sup
port programs, is available at the hospital and at
the Health Center. According to Sepi Afrakhteh,
an intern at the University’s counseling center,
“The most important thing to do is to seek both
medical and psychological help. At the counsel
ing center, we offer individual therapy for sur
vivors of sexual assault. In addition, they can uti
lize other services such as groups offered
through Sexual Assault Support Services
(SASS). It is essential that women surround
themselves with different sources of support.”
By following these guidelines, you can pre
vent falling victim to this increasingly common
crime. If you or someone you know needs to re
port a crime, or talk to a counselor, call SASS at
343-7277,24 hours a day, or contact the Univer
sity of Oregon Counseling center at 346-3227.
Hoffman-La Roche, the manufacturer of GHB
and Rohypnol, offers free urine testing to anyone
who suspects they’ve been given ruffles. Have
your doctor call (800) 608-6540.
Are diets all that they are hyped up to he?
Fad diets continue to be pop
ular with college students,
but studies suggest they are
both ineffective and
potentially harmful.
By Nora Aaron
It seems that you cannot go
anywhere without hearing about
dieting. Television and magazines
bombard us with diet ads. The
high-protein, low-carbohydrate
diet and other fad diets have
become heated topics of debate,
and, at times, it seems like every
one is on such a diet. You do not
have to look hard to find doctors
and nurses who are on these diets
themselves. Popular magazines
are filled with success stories,
which advocate dieting, while
news shows, newspapers, and
health professionals warn that
fad-diets can be harmful. So,
what is the truth? If these diets
do not work, then why are so
many people on them? Finding
the truth can be difficult when
there is so much hype surround
ing these diets in the media and
within the diet industry itself.
When assessing whether or not
such a diet is right for you or
even healthy in general, it is
important to review some facts:
According to E.D.A.P. (Eating
Disorders Awareness and Preven
tion), 95 % of people on these
kinds of diets gain the weight
back, usually within one to five
years.
Recent studies have shown
that more Americans are over
weight than ever before, with
nearly 30 % of them being obese,
putting them at higher risk for
many health problems, including
heart disease, cancer, and dia
betes.
The percentage of women suf
fering from eating disorders is
rapidly increasing not only in the
U.S., but also in countries across
the globe. Nearly 25 % of college
aged women suffer from disor
dered eating at some point in
their college career.
Diets can also deprive you of
energy and restrict your brain
power, making you feel tired and
sluggish. Going on calorie
restricted diets will actually slow
down your metabolism and
potentially put your body into a
starvation mode.
If studies have indicated that
these diets are harmful, then why
are so many people still on them?
Probably because the television
and media promote a feminine
ideal that is representative of less
than 5 % of the population. There
are many ways to maintain a
healthy weight without compro
mising your performance in
school, your health, or your hap
piness. Strive to:
• Eat a balanced diet with food
from all of the food groups.
• Eat enough calories to sustain
gour activity level.
• Learn to accept gour body. Do
not let gour weight determine
how you feel about yourself or
affect your self-esteem.
• Exercise regularly by doing
activities that you enjoy.
For more information on
healthy eating habits, stop by the
University Health Center. They
have a terrific lending library
from which you can take out
books, you could speak to a peer
health educator, or you can meet
with the nutritionist to help
improve your eating habits.
Contact the Health Education
Program at 346-4456.
University Health Center
In this issue...
Page 2...
Genetically modified foods
have arrived. Learn how
scientists are remaking
your favorite foods.
Ever wonder why most men
do not live as long as most
women? Find out how you or
your male friends can live a
longer, healthier life.
Page 3...
Take advantage of the beauti
ful fall weather in Eugene.
We’ve got the information you
need to go for a hike or a
climb this time of year.
College students know stress,
but do they know how to han
dle it? We’ve got some tips.
I You Asked Them that?!
Afraid to ask your doctor a
question about your health?
We rounded up some of the
questions you’re too afraid to
ask and got the answers for
you.
Page a...
Thinking about body art?
Here are some things to con
sider before you pierce or tat
too your body.
Confused about how impor
tant antioxidants are to stay
ing healthy? Check out the
latest news on antioxidants
and how you can incorporate
them into your diet.
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6MB WWMIi
I) N I V B * S i T Y
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