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Monday, July 8, 2013

Drugging Your Character - Date Rape Drug Information for Writers

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Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women'...
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
DISCLAIMER - This is a non-political site that is geared to help writers write it right. I am presenting information to help develop fictional characters and fictional scenes. In no way am I advocating any position or personal decision

Some statistics indicate that 40% of all sexual assaults are due to date rape, that 1 in 3 women experience an assault - as many as 1 in 4 women are successfully assaulted. 

Related blogs:
How a Predator Courts his victim
The NEW rape definition - makes it easier to send the perp to prison

So some personal information - 

I have two personal connections to these drugs. One had a "as good as it could get under the circumstances" outcome and one did not.

The first.
I was at a frat party as a young college girl - and had never heard of date rape drugs. But with my very first drink that particular night, I was out of my head drunk and passing out. Luckily, my friend, Suzie, saw me and kept me safe. I was taken to a hospital and diagnosed with Rohypnol poisoning.

The second.
Suzie went to Switzerland with another friend. One night at a pub, Suzie went to the ladies' room, and when she came back, her travel buddy was gone. Just gone. No one saw the girl get up and leave. After 24 hours, the police got involved. They dragged the lake and found the girl's body. Later, the police disclosed the bar video of a man's hand moving over both of their drinks. Suzie was saved by her trip to the ladies' room  prior to sipping her drink. The long line meant Suzie wasn't there to see her friend's symptoms or to see the two men "escorting" her friend out the door.



So let's start off by keeping your character safe (or reverse if your plot line needs her in trouble):


1. Don't let her drink anything
    that she didn't see poured or that
Cosmopolitan (cocktail)
Cosmopolitan (cocktail) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
    she didn't open 
    herself (unless
    it's via a waiter).
2. Don't let her drink
   from a punch bowl.
3. Always have her
    watch her drink (rest
    her hand over the
    top of her glass or
    leave a napkin or
    coaster over the 
    top).
4. Have your
    character take her glass with her to the ladies' room. 
5. If she gets up to dance, she should get a fresh drink when she
    gets back to the table (yes, even if your character is drinking 
    water or a soft drink).
6. If your character thinks she's been drugged, she should ask for
    help immediately (preferably not from a stranger) her window is
    small between awareness of something odd happening and
    inability. She should be taken to an Emergency Room and a
    toxicology report taken.


English: A girl sleeping in the heat room in t...
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)



ALCOHOL - 

* Is the #1 date rape drug effecting almost 50% of sexual assaults.


ROHYPNOL - Roofies


* A white tablet or green tablet. The green tablets dissolve slowly
   and may leave particles at the bottom of the glass and will turn
   the drink blue (this was a safety feature added by the
    manufacturer to try to prevent the drug from being used for date
   rape. Go ROCHE!) Bitter taste (possible).
* Works in 15- 20 minutes effects last 8 -12 hours

Health risks for your character:

* Nausea
* Slurred speech/problems talking
* Muscle relaxation/loss of motor 
   control
* Drunk feeling
* Confusion
* Problems seeing
* Dizziness/sleepiness
* Loss of memory of events that took
   place while under the influence of the
   drug
* Unlikely to be fatal though the risk
   increases with other drugs (recreational or prescription), alcohol
   levels, pre-existing conditions such as type 1 diabetes, respiratory
   issues such as asthma, and circulatory issues. 
* This drug works by suppressing the central nervous system and
   respiratory systems.
It passes out of the system in 24 hours.


GAMMA HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID (GHB) - Cherry Meth





*Originally used by weight lifters to stimulate muscle growth. It
  comes as a clear liquid, a white powder, a tablet or capsule form. 
  Odorless, and nearly tasteless - it can also taste salty -
  though almost undetectable when mixed into a drink.
*Takes effect in 15 - 30 minutes and can last 3-6 hours.
*Usually made at home or in "street labs"

Health Risks for Your Character

* Relaxation
* Drowsiness
* Dizziness
* Blacking out
* Seizures
* Not remembering what happened under the influence of the drug.
* Problems breathing
* Sweating
* Vomiting
* Slow heart rate
* Dreaming feeling
* Coma
* Death


KETAMINE - AKA Special K

*A powerful hallucinogen originally used as an animal tranquilizer.
  Frequently found in a powder form that is sprinkled over
  marijuana or tobacco (so this drug doesn't have to go into a drink)
  but can also be found in a clear liquid form.                                          





Health Risks to Your Character 

* Distorted vision and hearing
* Lost sense of time and identity
* Dream-like out of body experiences
* Feeling out of control
* Impaired motor functioning
* Problems breathing 
* Convulsions
* Vomiting
* Memory loss
* Aggressive or violent behavior                                                                  
* Depression
* Slurred speech
* High blood pressure

WANT TO SEE THIS ARTICLE 
IN ACTION?  Read MINE


Video Quick Study

Drink Savvy - preventing date rape products
Crisis Interventionist Talks About 3 Major Date Rape Drugs, Preventitive Strategies






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7 comments:

  1. I'll never put a drink down in public again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One can never be too cautious. You could just put your drink into an exercise bottle with a snap-down straw. LOL.

      Delete
    2. I don't usually hang out in the types of places you think of people getting drugged (bars or places like that) so I figure I'll be all right. I try not to be stupid about it either way.

      Delete
  2. Fiona, A good US organisation that fully understands the GHB problem is www.projectghb.org. It's run by a retired LAPD Narcotics Detective, Trinka Porrata. If any authors need specifics I'm sure she would be happy to assist. In the UK we have a big GHB/GBL problem in clubs and pubs with little awareness education (Sorry - putting my consultants hat on now!!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the information. Have you heard about the new nailpolish? You dip your finger in your drink, and the polish turns black if it has a rape drug in it. It's just getting off the ground. Awesome idea.

      Delete
  3. Your website is such inspiration and incredible place for resources! My story is placed in mid 20th century, do you know any book about forensics in that time? I would like to investigate what methods were available back then. Thanks in advance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll ask around - but off the top of my head I don't have a good resource. Can you narrow the scope? Which forensics are you using?

      Cheers,
      Fiona

      Delete