Over The Edge Page 12 Drug company tackles Rohypnol abuse By Pam _ Graham, Martlet reporter VICTORIA (CUP) _A pharmaceutical compa- ny which manufactures Rohypnol also known as the “date-rape drug” has changed its appearance in an effort to fight its abuse. Hoffman-La Roche, makers of the brand- name drug, recently halved the drug’s dosage in order to Books & Company So BIG you can almost see us from the hill. 1685 Third Avenue 563-6637 reduce its effect. The company also changed the tablet’s consistency so that it takes longer to dissolve into a liquid and added a blue dye to it so it can be easily identified. As._ well, Hoffman-La Roche reduced the num- ber of distributors autho- rized to carry Rohypnol to limit its access. In the past couple of years, Rohypnol, which FEATURE was originally developed to treat severe insomnia, has been used for pur- poses beyond its pre- scribed function. It's amnesiac effects and odorless, tasteless and colourless qualities have made it an easy drug to abuse. Several cases. of women being sexually assaulted after having the drug slipped into their drinks by men at bars and parties have eamed it the “date-rape drug” label. It can cause six to eight hours of memory loss, reduced control over motor skills, and induce a drunken effect _ often immobilizing women who've been slipped the drug and making them SURE PRINCE GEORGE COPY CENTER 1077 - 5th Avenue, Prince George, BC V2L 5K5 Telephone: (250) 612-3855 - Fax: (250) 612-3911 High Speed Self-Serve Copies Only a¢ - Letter or Legal Full Colour Laser Copies 8 1/2” x 11” only - 1 Side - 75¢ Transparencies Cerlox Bindings - up to 1/2” - - Black - $1.00 each - Full Colour - - 1/2” to 2” $2.00 $1.50 - $2.25 Prices valid anytime with student ID Fax Service - Cerlox Binding- Laminating - Resumes - Rubber Stamps Colour copies up to 11x17 - Labels Printing - Desktop Publishing forget what happened while under its influence. Several attacks involv- ing Rohypnol have hap- pened to female stu- dents on university cam- puses in Canada and the U.S. “Victims wake up dizzy and lethargic with a feel- ing of heaviness and have little or no memory,” said Roshni Narain, co- ordinator of the sexual assault centre at the University of Victoria. “They find themselves the next morning with their clothes disheveled, (possibly) with the smell of sex on them and unable to remember how they got there or who they were with.” “Women are afraid to report it since their date may try to convince them they had consented (to sexual activity), but because they don’t know what happened it is diffi- cult for them to deny or confirm it,” added Narain. “Often people know something has _hap- pened, but it’s not report- ed “because they can’t prove it.” Narain says the new safeguards implemented by Hoffman-La Roche won't guarantee the number of campus attacks on women will decrease. “Even though (Hoffman-La Roche) has done the color coding, Rohypnol is just one of many (insomnia drugs available),” Narain said. “Rohypnol may not be colorless now, but there are many other drugs with the same effects.” Narain urges friends to keep an eye on each other when socializing, and says women should never leave drinks unat- tended. If there’s a possibility someone has_ been drugged, it should be reported immediately as a test can determine whether or not Rohypnol has been ingested. Sosa 28, 1998 New date- rape drug readily available Source: The Muse By Amanda Labonte ST. JOHN’S (CUP) _ A drug known as Liquid G, which has a similar effect as Rohypnol when mixed with aicohol, is being dubbed the new “date-rape drug” by some observers. Like Rohypnol, effects of the cock- tail include extreme intoxication and temporary amnesia. But, Gamma Hydroxybutyrate, or Liquid G, can have more severe side effects than Rohypnol, _ espe- cially when used with other drugs. Comas, heart failure and even death have resulted from abusing the drug. Published reports about the drug's abuse was recently circulated by the Canadian Federation of Students, says Leigh Borden, a member of the student union at Memorial University. The reporst prompted her to look for more infor- mation on Liquid G.” “| looked it up on the Internet and low and behold there were actual order-away-for-your-own (Liquid G) kits,” Borden said. The drug, which was banned in the U.S. in 1990, has been linked to several sexual assaults in the U.S., and observers in Canada warn its abuse may be on the rise.