Used To The Drug example essay topic

ROHYPNOLByJenet Rohypnol is a drug commonly known as the date rape drug. According to the article "Drug-Facilitated Date Rape", by Erica Weir, Rohypnol is not a legal drug in the United States or Canada but it is legal in 62 countries in Europe, Africa, Latin American and the Middle East. It is one of the most commonly used sleeping pill or anti-anxiety drug (Benzodiazepine) in these countries. People can get Rohypnol by prescription. Its main function is to depress the central nervous system. Rohypnol is given t some patients before surgeries because it lowers blood pressure and that reduces bleeding.

A pharmaceutical firm known as Hoffmann-La Roche in the 1970's first developed Rohypnol. It was sold first to Switzerland as a sleeping pill in 1975. It was known to have fewer side effects than barbiturates until some scientists did more studies on the drug and found out that it has many of the same harmful side effects as barbiturates. It was also found to be very dangerous. Abuse of Rohypnol began in the 1970's in Europe at parties. Then in the mid 1990's, high school and college students began abusing it in the U.S. They are using them at dance clubs and raves. U.S. banned Rohypnol in 19997.

In an article called "Rohypnol: Profile of the "date-rape drug" by Dominick A. Labianca, it was stated that Rohypnol is not sanctioned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a sedative hypnotic drug and is therefore neither produced nor marketed legally in the United States. People could face prison f caught with the drug. It also became illegal for people to bring the drug as travelers into the U.S. for their personal use. Even though U.S. banned the drug, Rohypnol has become widespread throughout the U.S. because people struggle or mail the rug into the country and distribute it.

Rohypnol has many street names. Some are circles, forget me pill, la rocha, Mexican Valium, mind eraser, R-2, rookies, roche, and roaches. This drug is not very expensive and it can be easily found. According to the article called "Rohypnol, The Date Rape Drug", by Richard H. Schwartz and Andrea B. Weaver, tablets wholesale for about $1.00 and retail for about $4.00-$5.00 each. High school and college students use it because they think that if it is legal in other countries then it must not be dangerous or addictive.

Drug dealers at races tell people false information about Rohypnol. They say that it is a harmless as vitamins or energy drinks. They also say that if you dance then the drug will leave your body as you sweat. Tests can be done to detect Rohypnol in someone's system for up to 72 hours. Rohypnol has been found in rape cases and it is increasing. Women are warned that if they go out they should have their eyes on their drinks or just take their drinks with them wherever they go.

This is because some people crush Rohypnol and place the powder into women's drinks. This intensifies the alcohol and they get drunk quickly. This gets the to not be fully aware of what they are doing and it can lead to problems. When Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc. heard that their drug was being used to drug people, they changed the pill so that it takes 40 minutes for it to dissolve, and that way the drink takes longer to become affected. But even though the company has changed the pills, people are still not sage because illegal manufacturing of Rohypnol is taking place.

It is colorless and odorless. For this reason Hoffmann-La Roche created an ad campaign to let people know of the illegal manufacturing of the drug. According to the article by Dominick A. Labianca, "Rohypnol selectively affects synaptic processes in the brain brought about by the central nervous system neurotransmitter y-amino butyrin acid (GABA) " (pg. 719). These processes involve the transfer of nerve impulses between neurons and effect er cells. The effect er cells are the cells of the gland, organ or muscle activated by the impulse. And this affects the Desired physiological outcome.

The article also stated that GABA plays a key physiological role as the brain's major part where limitation of the action or function of neuro transmission takes place That is because its discharge blocks the arousal of higher brain centers. Rohypnol increases the connection of GABA for its receptors. By doing this it reduces the excitement or the energy of nerve systems and decreases anxiety and alertness. Rohypnol is very similar to Valium and Xanax. Valium and Xanax are drugs also. All three depress the central nervous system.

According to the article "Black Issues in Higher Education" by Charles Dervarics, "Rohypnol is considered ten to twenty times more powerful than Valium" (pg. 5). Rohypnol comes as a long 1 mg dose. It also used to come as a 2 mg dose but its manufacturer is no longer producing it. Although it is not being produced anymore, law enforcement officials have seen them around. The most common ways of taking Rohypnol are either swallowing it or dissolving it in water.

Since the pill is easily crushed, some users snort the pill when it is turned into powder. Users of the drug also inject the powdered Rohypnol, by needle, into their systems. Amnesia is a symptom that is the effect of Rohypnol. With this kind of effect, users do not remember what is happening around them for many hours. Users can also fall into deep sleep until the next day if they mix Rohypnol with alcohol or any other drug.

That is because when mixing Rohypnol with alcohol or other drugs, it creates a stronger effect. When the drug leaves the body, users feel sick for a couple of days. They feel dizzy, drowsy, and confused. They are confused because the drug erases most of their memories from the time the drug took effect in their system. They do not know clearly what took place after they took the drug.

From research, some users said that they felt powerless and paralyzed; they were not in control of their bodies. Heavy users of Rohypnol become physically and emotionally dependent on this drug. They feel like they need it to go on with their day or to deal with their everyday life. They feel that they are not strong enough without the drug. Even if they want to stop it is really hard without seeking help. Their bodies become used to the drug so they crave it often.

And for most, it is hard to fight back the craving. According to Erica Weir, "Rohypnol produces symptoms similar to alcohol intoxication. Users talk slurred and feel relaxed" (80). Rohypnol can also cause insomnia for heavy users. It can also lower blood level to a dangerous point. Besides experiencing dizziness and confusion, people experience fearlessness by using the drug.

They become more confident about themselves and their self-esteem increases. They are no longer insecure of themselves. Overdosing on Rohypnol is not likely to be fatal but if mixed with another drug it can cause death or put the user in a coma. Harmful side effects of Rohypnol are intestinal and stomach upsets, and urinary retention. People who overdose need to be taken to the emergency room as soon as possible. What the doctors may do, if the patient is conscious, is that they may pump the patient's stomach.

Sometimes the patient, if conscious, vomits so there is no need to pump his or her stomach. Doctors may also give activated charcoal to the patient because this decreases the amount of Rohypnol still being processed in the patient's body. Another drug called flumazenil can also be used. This drug reverses the unfavorable effects of Rohypnol on the central nervous system. Long-term health effects of Rohypnol are not good. Even if the doctor has recommended the amount of Rohypnol needed by a patient, that patient can get addicted to the drug.

Their bodies would become dependent on the drug. If the stop using Rohypnol for about a week then they may get seizures. People who have used the drug for a long period of time can experience headaches, confusion, anxiety, restlessness, and muscle pain. They can also experience hallucinations, shocks, heart failures, and numbness.

Users of Rohypnol should not try to stop taking the drug by themselves. They should get medical help to help them get rid of their habit of taking the drug and their interest in the drug. After three to five weeks of not taking the drug, the symptoms mentioned before like headaches, anxiety, confusion, restlessness, or muscle pain, will attack the user. Hospitalization is needed for Rohypnol withdrawal.

The medical treatment sometimes used is called Phenobarbital. What the medical staff will do is give 30 mg of Phenobarbital to take the place of each 1 mg of Rohypnol taken by the patient. The amount of Phenobarbital given to a patient may vary depending on the amount of Rohypnol the patient has been taking. To remove the withdrawal symptoms completely, gradual steps are taken. The dose is reduced each sequential day until the patient is no longer dependent on the drug. It is done gradually so that the patient does not feel too much of the bad side effects.

Many users of Rohypnol are not only addicted to Rohypnol but to other drugs also. Alcohol addiction is common in most cases for abusers of Rohypnol. They use Rohypnol and alcohol together for a stronger effect. Treatment for addiction of many drugs is more complicated than just being addicted to Rohypnol alone.

The consequences in being found with possession of Rohypnol are different in different situations. For instance, if you are caught having possession of Rohypnol, then you get the maximum sentence that is three years in prison. If you are caught importing or exporting the drug, then you get the maximum sentence of twenty years in prison. If death or injury takes place, then it is a minimum of twenty years to life in prison. And finally, if you have a felony conviction in your record then the sentencing is a minimum of thirty years in prison. According to the article by Richard H. Schwartz and Andrea B. Weaver, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has documented is non-medical use in 32 states.

In 1996, President Clinton signed the Drug-Induced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act. What this act did was put people in prison if they were caught using drugs to commit a crime. Rape is one of the most common crimes. Rape victims in Australia and England tried to ban the drug but it had not yet been successful. To help, Hoffmann-La Roche lowered the number of legal distributors in Mexico from 200 to 16.

Hoffmann-La Roche Manufactured Rohypnol in the 1970's to treat sleeping disorders and anxiety. The drug is harmful and dangerous. High school students and college students started using the drug to intensify alcohol and other drugs. Rohypnol was also used as a date rape drug. Because of this, United States and Canada banned the drug. Although Rohypnol is not legal in the United States and in Canada, illegal production and smuggling of the drug still exists from countries like Europe, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

In my opinion, it was a great idea for the United States and Canada to ban Rohypnol. Other countries should ban the drug also because then the smuggling and the use of the drug will decrease. It will not be completely gone but it will make a difference. Not only people are using the drug to harm themselves but also to harm other. It is very disturbing to hear that women are being drugged and they do not know what happened to them when they passed out.

Drugs are always going to be around but we need to keep on educating people and helping those who need help to quit their addiction. I have heard many abusers of drugs say that they want to quit but they do not know how or where to go to get the help that they need. We need more commercials on TV and more signs in schools so that people know where to go to get help or to remind them that what they are doing is harming them and others greatly.

Bibliography

Blackford, Stacey L. and Kristine K rapp, eds. Drugs, eds. Drugs and Controlled Substances: Information for Students. USA: Gale Group Inc., 2003.
Dervarics, Charles. "Washington Update: New Bill Targets Date-Rape Drugs". Black Issues in Higher Education. 13 (1996): 5 Labianca, Dominick A.
Rohypnol: Profile of the 'Date-Rape Drug" Journal of Chemical Education. 75 (1998): 719.
Schwartz, Richard H. "Rohypnol, the Date Rape Drug". Clinical Pediatrics. 37 (1998): 321.
Weir, Erica. "Drug-Facilitated Date Rape". Canadian Medical Association. 165 (2001): 80.