Message: 242
To: Multiple recipients of list ADDICT-L 
From: Frederick Rotgers 
Subject: "Roofies"
Date: Sat, 9 Dec 1995 19:06:22 -0500
        There is an article in today's NY Times about a new drug sweeping the
south called Rohypnol, known on the street as "roofies", "roach" and "rope". It
is a benzodiazepine that is marketted widely abroad and smuggled into the US
from the south. It was apparently implicated in Kurt Cobains' death. Does
anyone know the generic name for this drug?
        Supposedly the attraction is that it loosens inhibitions before it
sedates. Odd behaviors associated with it include missing one's mouth when
eating nachos! In Dade County (Miami) the police are even testing for this drug
in DWI arrestees who blow low BALs, but appear very intoxicated. It hasn't made
it to the Northeast yet, but has been found in California.
        Anyone had any experience with it?

Fred

Frederick Rotgers, Psy.D.


Message: 243
To: razer@ix.netcom.com
From: sysadm (System Administration)
Subject: Re: 
Date: Sun, 10 Dec 1995 10:52:50 -0800
>Fred wrote: 
>>
>>        There is an article in today's NY Times about a new drug 
>sweeping the
>>south called Rohypnol, known on the street as "roofies", "roach" and 
>"rope". .........
> Does anyone know the generic name for this drug?

>Flunitrazepam

>........................
>>        Anyone had any experience with it?

>Fred, reference http://www.well.com/user/woa/fsrophie.htm. The Web of 
>Addictions had a report about this drug about 2 months ago (scooping 
>the NY Times I see!).

>Dick

Message: 246
To: Multiple recipients of list ADDICT-L 
From: Melissa Raven 
Subject: Re: "Roofies"
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 09:13:39 +1030
Fred
Rohypnol is flunitrazepam, nicknamed Rollies?/Rolys? It is very commonly
used here in prisons, on the streets, and by people on the methadone
circuit. There is a thriving black market. Anecdotally it is associated with
unpredictable violent behaviour. In Adelaide there are a handful of doctors
notorious for prescribing it on demand. Some
pharmacists/pharmacologists/doctors believe it should be taken off the
market. In New South Wales I think its availability has recently been
severely restricted - I think it's been reclassified.
Melissa
>        There is an article in today's NY Times about a new drug sweeping the
>south called Rohypnol, known on the street as "roofies", "roach" and "rope". It
>is a benzodiazepine that is marketted widely abroad and smuggled into the US
>from the south. It was apparently implicated in Kurt Cobains' death. Does
>anyone know the generic name for this drug?
Melissa Raven
NCETA, Science Park Adelaide, BEDFORD PARK  SA  5042, Australia
Telephone   61 8 201 7557
Fax                61 8 201 7550
Email            melissa.raven @flinders.edu.au


Message: 248
To: Multiple recipients of list ADDICT-L 
From: Harry Avis 
Subject: roofies
Date: Sun, 10 Dec 1995 15:22:53 -0800
       There is an article in today's NY Times about a new drug sweeping the
>south called Rohypnol, known on the street as "roofies", "roach" and "rope". It
>is a benzodiazepine that is marketted widely abroad and smuggled into the US
>  Since it is not available for prescription in the U.S., not even Drug:
Facts and Comparisons lists it and it lists everything. I heard of it last
spring from one of my students. Bless their little hearts, not knowing that
they are incipient addicts who should be ashamed of their little
explorations into mind altering substances, they come to me with bags of
mushrooms asking if I can identify them, give me home grown joints for Xmas,
ask me about sniffing cow pies (methane) etc. From the literature I have
been able to locate, roofies are prescribed in Europe and Mexico, of course.
They are reported to be 10Xs as potent as Valium, Librium with a similar
half life. Since they are sold in the pharmaceutical companies capsules,
they give the appearance of being more legitimate. Nothing really startling,
I don't think, just very strong little blue martinis. Of course the usual
stories abound about people being forced to take them and engage in group
sex, overdoses, ad nauseum. When I was narcotics control officer for the
psychopharmacology division at Edgewood Arsenal in Md, I had a huge
refrigerator stocked with hallucinogens, meth, cocaine and numerous top
secret drugs. All I thought about was how tedious it was to maintain the log
indicating who had taken what. I could have taken any amount of any of them
without detection, but their availability was the prime deterrant. I am not
in favor of censorship but I think a little restraint wouldn't hurt.
Remember Ice, khat, and so on? How much interest was stimulating by
ridiculous stories about these drugs. How do we get across the message that
drugs don't cause you to be supernaturally strong, see God or have
spontaneous orgasms. Most simply make you stupid.
Harry Avis Ph.D.
Sierra College
Rocklin, CA 95677
havis@sierra.campus.mci.net

Message: 249
To: Multiple recipients of list ADDICT-L 
From: Gwen Olitsky 
Subject: Re: "Roofies"
Date: Sun, 10 Dec 1995 18:43:57 -0500
Found lots of information on "web of addiction" a few months ago.

Gwen Olitsky, MS
The Self-Help Institute for Training and Therapy
Philadelphia, PA

Message: 250
To: Multiple recipients of list ADDICT-L 
From: "David C. Hester" 
Subject: Re: "Roofies"
Date: Sun, 10 Dec 1995 19:01:13 MDT
Harry wrote:
-----------------------------
> When I was narcotics control officer for the
>psychopharmacology division at Edgewood Arsenal in Md, I had a huge
>refrigerator stocked with hallucinogens, meth, cocaine and numerous top
>secret drugs...

Harry,

I'll bite.  What *are* these numerous top secret drugs?  Truth serums? Spy
stuff? Menaces to entire population's water supplies?  Viral blights?

Regards, H.Dave


Message: 252
To: Multiple recipients of list ADDICT-L 
From: Peter McDermott 
Subject: Re: "Roofies"
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 11:13:47 +0000
At 7:01 pm 10/12/95, David C. Hester wrote:
>> When I was narcotics control officer for the
>>psychopharmacology division at Edgewood Arsenal in Md, I had a huge
>>refrigerator stocked with hallucinogens, meth, cocaine and numerous top
>>secret drugs...
>
>Harry,
>
>I'll bite.  What *are* these numerous top secret drugs?  Truth serums? Spy
>stuff? Menaces to entire population's water supplies?  Viral blights?

I'm sure Harry can't say, being as how they are top secret, but if
I'm not mistaken they tend to be called things like EA1326 anyway.

P.


Message: 253
To: Multiple recipients of list ADDICT-L 
From: Frederick Rotgers 
Subject: Re: "Roofies"
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 06:58:28 -0500
Dick,

        You certainly did scoop the Times! Of course my experience with their
reporters is that it takes ages for them to write up an article, so I'm not
surprised!

Fred

Frederick Rotgers, Psy.D.
Center of Alcohol Studies       Voice: 908-445-0941
Rutgers University              FAx: 908-445-5944
PO Box 969                      e-mail: frotgers@rci.rutgers.edu
Piscataway, NJ 08855-0969

Message: 566
To: Multiple recipients of list ADDICT-L 
From: "Gwen Olitsky, MS" 
Subject: Rophynol Banned in U.S. ??
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 1996 11:51:04 -0500
This is from the BACCHUS List today (Wednesday, March 27, 1996)
Gwen

>This article was circulated by the Associated Press.
>
>"Date-rape pill Rohypnol banned in U.S."
>
>The government said the insomnia pill has no therapeutic use in the
>United States.
>
>Washington - THe government banned teh importation of the sedative
>Rohypnol Tuesday, saying the "date-rape" pill is a growing threat to
>teen-agers and young adults and has no legitimate therapeutic use.
>
>The pills are manufactured overseas and used legally in about 60 nations
>for insomnia.  Until Tuesday, travelers to the United States could bring
>a three-month supply for personal use.
>
>But Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin said the Customs Service will
>seize any amount of the drug, also known as "roofies," that is brought
>into the country by travelers, in commercial shipments or by mail.
>
>The Drug Enforcement Admininstration is taking steps to reclassify it as
>a Schedule 1 drug with no accepted medical use in the United States.  As
>such it will be grouped with heroin, methaqualone and LSD.
>
>Rohypnol, a sedative 10 times more potent than Valium, often has been
>associated with date rape, the Treasury said, citing news reports about
>women claiming to have been assaulted after their drinks had been
>spiked.  The drug creates a drunk, then sleepy feeling that peaks after
>two hours and lasts about eight.
>
>Rubin told reporters the drug, manufactured abroad by Swiss-based
>Hoffman-LaRoche, has been gaining popularity among the young in the South
>and Southwest, particularly Florida and Texas.
>
>The drug usually comes in white, 2 milligram tablets in bubble-packs
>similar to those for cold pills.  It sells for $3-$5 a pill.
>
>The Food and Drug Administration has said Rohypnol has no legitimate
>therapeutic need in the United States that is not already met by legal
>and approved drugs.
>
>--------------------------------------------
>

>Gwen Olitsky, MS
>The Self-Help Institute for Training and Therapy
>Philadelphia, PA
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