Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault

Jump to:

What to Know

(Adapted in part from RAINN, 2020)

Drug facilitated sexual assault occurs when alcohol or other drugs are used by perpetrators to compromise their victims’ ability to consent to sexual activity. These substances can reduce victims’ ability to resist, sedate them and prevent them from remembering all or part of a sexual assault.  

In these situations, perpetrators take advantage of victims’ voluntary use of alcohol/drugs and/or intentionally force victims to inject, inhale or ingest drugs/ alcohol, with or without their knowledge. These tactics can make it easier for perpetrators to manipulate their victims and commit an assault. (Perpetrators’ use of alcohol/drugs may reduce their own inhibitions to commit sexual assault.) Alcohol and drugs are involved in a majority of non-stranger sexual assault.

  • Alcohol is the most commonly used substance in drug-facilitated sexual assault. Among college students, for example, a majority of sexual assaults involve use of alcohol, and drugs to a lesser extent, prior to the incident by perpetrators and/or victims. Some victims are aware, suspect or not sure if they had been given drugs without their knowledge or consent. Some are passed out or asleep for all or parts of the assault. (Cantor et al., 2015; 2019)
  • The use of alcohol as a sedative is sometimes combined or replaced with the illicit use of drugs like Rohypnol, Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB), Ketamine, Ecstasy, marijuana and cocaine. Some of these drugs can be added to drinks without changing the color, flavor or odor of the beverage.
  • Prescription and over-the-counter drugs—such as sleep aids, anxiety medication, muscle relaxers and tranquilizers—can also be used to facilitate a sexual assault and be combined with alcohol/other drugs.

In West Virginia, someone who is drunk or drugged cannot give consent to sex.  If a person has sexual activity with someone who is in an incapacitated condition due to consumption of alcohol or/and drugs, it is a sex offense.

Also note that in West Virginia, simple possession of illicit drugs is a crime and potentially punishable with prison time and a fine.  Significantly greater penalties are possible if perpetrators administer drugs to another person without their knowledge and with the intent to commit a violent crime.

Common Illicit Drugs Used

Rohypnol

  • Street names: Roofies, R-2s, Roches, Forget-Me pill, Whiteys and Mind-Eraser
  • The brand name for the drug flunitrazepam, a central nervous system depressant, belonging to a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines, which include widely used medications such a Valium, Librium and Xanex
  • 10 to 20 times more potent than Valium
  • Currently a Schedule IV drug under the Federal Controlled Substance Act of 1970 with Schedule I penalties for illegal possession, importation or distribution in the United States
  • Illegal in the U.S. but used legally by prescription in 80 countries for short-term treatment of severe sleep disorders and as a surgical sedative
  • Available only in pill form that is tasteless and odorless
  • Dissolves quickly in liquids (soft drinks, alcohol, etc.)
  • Effects begin within 20 to 30 minutes of ingestion, with the strongest effects occur within one to two hours
  • Can cause amnesia for up to 8 hours after one dose, along with slurred speech, decreased pulse and increased blood pressure
  • Has been used as a recreational drug at all night dance parties known as “raves”
  • Is no longer in the blood after 4 to 6 hours; can remain in the urine up to 48 hours because of the way the body metabolizes the substance
  • The pill is an oval shape and is olive-green in color
  • When dissolved in liquid, the pill produces a blueish-green dye

GHB (Gamma Hydroxybutyrate Acid)

  • Street names: Grievous Bodily Harm, Liquid G, Easy Lay, Liquid Ecstasy, Georgia Home Boy and Great Hormones at Bedtime
  • Used as a steroid alternative by body builders
  • Thought to produce slow-wave sleep which occurs when the muscle building hormone is secreted into the body
  • A colorless, odorless liquid that has a salty or plastic taste
  • Can easily be disguised in margaritas and other fruity drinks
  • Potency varies due to its production
  • Is manufactured illegally
  • Illegal for any person to produce and/or sell GHB in the U.S
  • Effects of the drug begin within 15 to 20 minutes after ingestion; peaks by 60 minutes and plateaus by 90 minutes
  • Works as a sedative – it has a dose-response effect
  • Lowered dosages can decrease inhibitions
  • Higher dosages can cause nausea, drowsiness, muscle stiffness, respiratory problems, seizures, loss of consciousness, coma and death
  • Can cause the victim to make a loud, chainsaw-like snoring sound
  • Often causes sudden vomiting and involuntary muscle jerking
  • Can cause breathing to slow to only six breaths per minute
  • Gives a rapid onset of intoxication, comparable to alcohol but with a euphoric high and a sought-after out-of-body experience
  • Is no longer in blood after 4 to 5 hours; can remain in urine up to 12 hours
  • Long-term use causes addiction

Ketamine

  • Street names: Special K, Vitamin K, KitKat and Purple Bump
  • A general anesthetic used in veterinary surgery and for burn dressing changes
  • It typically is a colorless, odorless, tasteless liquid, but may also be a light white powdery substance
  • Takes effect in as little as 5 to 20 minutes; effects may last 2 to 8 hours
  • Can cause slurred speech, unsteady gait, mechanical movements, monotone speech and hallucinations
  • Close relative of PCP and can create similar violent behavior effects
  • Is no longer in blood after 24 hours; can remain in urine up to 48 hours

Ecstasy (MDMA—Methylenedioxmethamphetamine)

  • Street names: Adam, E, Essence, Hug Drug, Love Drug and X
  • Originally developed as an appetite suppressant
  • Is rarely used with alcohol
  • Users drink large amounts of water to prevent side effects
  • A stimulant that has psychedelic effects that last between 4 to 6 hours
  • It is typically a small colored pill with an imprint
  • Reduces sexual inhibitions
  • Can cause teeth grinding, sweating or chills, dehydration, and heart or kidney failure due to increased heart rate and blood pressure
  • Can damage parts of the brain that are critical to thought and memory
  • Common at raves
  • Users suck on pacifiers at raves to prevent teeth grinding
  • Alters perceptions
  • Users are drawn to lights; thus, glow sticks are common at raves
  • Suppresses the need to eat, drink or sleep

Physical Effects

Individuals may react differently to sedating substances, depending on the dosage, their metabolism and sensitivity to the substance, as well as the presence of alcohol or other drugs. There are several possible signs/symptoms that individuals may have if they had been given a sedating substance:

  • Victims think they may have been assaulted, but are not sure (unexplained soreness or injuries, woke up in a different place and can’t remember how they got there, etc.)
  • Victims’ recollection of the assault is patchy and confused; they may remember only parts of it or none at all
  • Victims remember the assault but were unable to move or speak during it (“It was like I was watching the whole thing. I tried to scream, but no words came out…”)
  • Victims felt their intoxication level did not correlate with the amount of alcohol consumed
  • Victims woke up feeling “fuzzy”, very hung over, experiencing memory lapse and can’t account for periods of time

Depending on the substance and the presence of alcohol or other drugs in the person’s system, more dangerous and sometimes life-threatening side effects may occur.        

What to Do if It Happens to You

(Also see the website section, What Victims Need to Know.)

If you think you were drugged and sexually assaulted:

  • Get help immediately.
  • Get to a safe place.
  • Ask a trusted friend to stay with you and assist you in getting the help you need.
  • Call 911.
  • Preserve as much physical evidence as possible. Do not urinate, shower, bathe, douche or throw away the clothing you were wearing during the incident. (However, if you have already engaged in any of these activities since the assault, don’t worry that it will “ruin” the case. Also, if you have already changed clothing, you can still collect the clothing worn during the assault and bring it with you to the hospital, even if they have already been washed.)
    • If possible, save any other materials that might provide evidence, such as the glass that held your drink.
  • Go to a hospital emergency department as soon as possible for a forensic medical examination. During the exam, you can be examined for injuries, some of which you may not be aware of, given antibiotics to prevent bacterial sexually transmitted diseases and receive medication to protect against pregnancy. In addition, evidence can be collected which may help lead to the conviction of the assailant in the event that the crime is prosecuted. In West Virginia, sexual assault victims can have a forensic medical exam, even if they are undecided about whether to report to law enforcement. There is no statute of limitations on reporting sexual assault.
  • Request that the hospital take a urine sample for drug toxicology testing to be done by your law enforcement agency’s crime lab. A special test must be conducted to detect specific drugs in a urine specimen. The first urine after the assault needs to be saved in a clean container. Preferably the urine should be collected at the hospital. The likelihood of detecting drugs used to commit the assault lessens each time you urinate.
  • For information and support at any time, contact your local rape crisis center or call 1-800-656-HOPE.

Resources

When Drugs are Used to Rape Brochure
References

Cantor, D., Fisher, B., Chibnall, S., Harps, S., Townsend, R., Thomas, G., Lee, H., Kranz, V., Herbison, R. & Madden, K. (2019, revised 2020). Report on the AAU campus climate survey on sexual assault and sexual misconduct. Washington, DC: Association of American Universities.

Cantor, D., Fisher, B., Chibnall, S., Townsend, R., Lee, H., Bruce, C., & Thomas, G. (2015). Report on the AAU campus climate survey on sexual assault and sexual misconduct. Washington, DC: Association of American Universities.

Scroll to Top