Women warned about date rape drugs

It’s something you may have heard about in the U.S. media: drugs that incapacitate women and make them vulnerable to rape. But the Ministry of National Security is now advising young women in Belize that they need to be careful. There have been incidents in neighboring countries where sexual offenders use drugs such as Rohypnol and Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate, G.H.B., to render their victims incapable of fighting back, or even remember being assaulted. The Ministry says anyone who goes to nightclubs or parties is urged to closely monitor their drinks, and to refuse any beverage prepared by someone else or which tastes salty or look strange. Within 20 minutes G.H.B. can induce lethargy, extreme intoxication, impaired judgement, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Mixed with alcohol, it can kill. The Ministries of National Security and Human Development are advising any woman who finds that after socializing she has a severe hangover despite having only one to two drinks and feels as if someone had sex with her — even if she can’t remember — to get help from friends or family, go to the hospital or call the police. Street names for Rohypnol include “Roffies,” “R-2s,” “Mexican Valium,” “Roach” or “La Rocha”. G.H.B. is also known as “Liquid-X,” “Grevious Bodily Harm,” “Saltwater,” “Scoop,” “Easy Lay” and “Gamma O.”