Rohypnol
Rohypnol is a generic drug known as flunitrazepam which contains lorazepam, diazepam, and alprazolam. This type of drug is a strong muscle relaxer, approximately ten times Valium. It is mostly used for the treatment of insomnia, seizures, and anxiety (Oluwole et al., 2020). In addition, it is used before surgery and has been accepted for clinical purposes in over 50 countries. However, the drug is also used illegally and classified as a Schedule IV illegal substance by the US government.
The common street name is “Roofies,” although other names include Mexican Valium, Rope, forget-me pill, and roaches. It is commonly abused due to its effects, making the users feel high after approximately 15 minutes of ingestion and keeping them high for six hours (Oluwole et al., 2020). However, this depends on the quantity ingested and the individual’s metabolism. When used heavily, the person may have memory loss, be unable to walk, and be unable to communicate. When taken lightly, it increases the chances of violence, encourages arguments, and someone behaves as if they are drunk. The drug is colorless, tasteless, and odorless, making it sometimes used in clubs to drug people because they ingest it without noticing.
New Research on Various Illegal Drugs in Clinical Trials
Opioids
Opioids have been found to have the most devastating health effects compared to other drugs. The drug can be attributed to 70% of premature drug-related disabilities and deaths in healthy individuals (Hoffman et al., 2019). They include drugs such as fentanyl, oxycodone, tramadol, and hydrocodone. The misuse and overdose of opioids may lead to addiction. However, administering naloxone in time can reverse the effects of opioids and even save one from death. In addition, the study has found that opioid use by pregnant women may affect the baby. The baby can become addicted to the drug and even undergo withdrawal symptoms through a process referred to as neonatal abstinence syndrome (Hoffman et al., 2019). A clinical trial revealed that when one misuses opioids, one can have the urge to take heroin. Therefore, the use of opioids can lead to heroin abuse.
Amphetamines
Amphetamine is a drug used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which causes impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention. However, the drug is highly abused in North America and Asia. Over 20 million individuals aged between 15 and 60 years abuse the drug in the USA (Khoramizadeh et al., 2019). The effects of taking Amphetamines include irregular heartbeat, fast heart rate, loss of appetite, high blood pressure, and temperature. People use it for recreational services to increase muscle strength, improve sociability, increase libido, reduce fatigue, and stay awake. Various treatments, such as risperidone, aripiprazole, and haloperidol, effectively reduce addictions and depression. On the other hand, Riluzole helped reduce the drug’s withdrawal effects, depression, and craving (Khoramizadeh et al., 2019). Therefore, the combination of these medications with pharmacological treatments effectively reduced addictions and improved the health outcomes of the abusers.
What Makes Rohypnol Illegal
Rohypnol is illegal in the US due to its risk of addiction, dependence, and the health risks it poses to users. However, although the drug is illegal in the country, it is smuggled through the Mexican border. Rohypnol is attached to many rapes and sexual assaults in the US and is labeled “a rape drug.” Victims are easily drugged because the drug is tasteless, odorless, and raped (Oluwole et al., 2020). The drug makes the sexual assault victims unable to resist being raped, and it erases their memory such that they cannot recall how it happened and who drugged them. In addition, the drug is highly addictive, and many people who misuse it depend on it for their survival. This means that they cannot carry out their daily activities without ingesting their drug. The side effects of using the drug include impaired judgment, sleep, confusion, loss of consciousness, aggression, slow reaction time, and loss of memory (Oluwole et al., 2020). Due to these reasons, Rohypnol was flagged as illegal in the Controlled Substances Act 1984; anyone found manufacturing or possessing it in the US can be arrested and charged.
How the Drug Is Medicinally Used
Rohypnol is used to treat insomnia whereby it functions as a central nervous system depressant hence reducing the blood pressure and normal functioning of the brain. Therefore, people who have insomnia require this medication to get sleep. When they follow the doctor’s prescription correctly, they are likely to get the amount of sleep they require in a day, presenting limited side effects (Oluwole et al., 2020). The drug can be used for other medical purposes such as relaxing muscles, reducing anxiety in patients, and regulating the patient’s heart rate and blood pressure. In the past, the medication was used before surgery to enable patients to fall asleep. Sometimes the medication may be prescribed to cancer patients and those who have undergone surgery to help them reduce pain in their body; however, they should not overdose on it to avoid interference with their mental capacity (Oluwole et al., 2020). These patients have the freedom to buy the drug once they feel pain; however, they should not take it above the prescribed levels. This shows that despite the devasting effects of Rohypnol abuse, it still has medical help for those who use it correctly.
References
Hoffman, K. A., Ponce Terashima, J., & McCarty, D. (2019). Opioid use disorder and treatment: Challenges and opportunities. BMC Health Services Research, 19(1). Web.
Khoramizadeh, M., Effatpanah, M., Mostaghimi, A., Rezaei, M., Mahjoub, A., & Shishehgar, S. (2019). Treatment of amphetamine abuse/use disorder: A systematic review of a recent health concern. Daru: Journal of Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 27(2), 743–753. Web.
Oluwole, D. T., Akhigbe, R. E., & Ajayi, A. F. (2020). Rohypnol‐induced sexual dysfunction is via suppression of hypothalamic‐pituitary‐testicular axis: An experimental study in rats. Andrologia, 53(2). Web.