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FLUNITRAZEPAM
(Rohypnol)
"roofies"
Introduction
Recent seizures and anecdotal reporting indicate that distribution and
abuse of flunitrazepam are increasing domestically, especially in southern
and southwestern States. Of particular concern is the drugs low
cost, usually below $5 per tablet, and its growing popularity among young
people. Flunitrazepam is a benzodiazepine that is used in the short-term
treatment of insomnia and as a sedative hypnotic and preanesthetic medication.
It has physiological effects similar to diazepam (commonly known by its
trade name, ValiumŪ), although flunitrazepam is approximately 10 times
more potent. Flunitrazepam neither is manufactured nor sold licitly in
the United States. It is produced and sold legally by prescription in
Europe and Latin America. The drug usually is smuggled into and transported
within the United States through the mail or delivery services.
Manufacture and Distribution
Flunitrazepammarketed under the trade name Rohypnolis manufactured
worldwide, particularly in Europe and Latin America, in 1- and 2-milligram
tablets by Hoffman-La Roche, Inc., a large pharmaceutical manufacturer.
However, the drug neither is manufactured nor approved for medical use
in the United States.
Flunitrazepam has been encountered by U.S. law enforcement agencies in
Southern States from California to Florida. Authorities in Texas and Florida
have observed the most significant activity involving flunitrazepam. Distributors
in Texas reportedly travel to Mexico to obtain the drug. In South Florida,
the drug is delivered primarily from Colombia via international mail services
or commercial airlines. Overnight mail appears to be the preferred method
of importation. Several packages seized in Miami over the past 2 years
were shipped from Cali, Colombia, and contained up to 11,000 dosage units
each.
The most recent and largest seizures of flunitrazepam occurred in February
1995. On February 13, over 52,000 tablets, packaged loosely in plastic
bags and located inside a car door, were seized by the State Police in
Louisiana. On February 14, the U.S. Border Patrol in McAllen, Texas, seized
over 57,000 tablets of Rohypnol, packaged in bubble packs, along with
53 pounds of marijuana. The drugs were obtained in Mexico and destined
for Florida. Since 1990, over 1,000 Federal, State, and local investigations
have been initiated regarding flunitrazepam. The DEA is pursuing over
70 investigations involving distribution of flunitrazepam. In many investigations,
flunitrazepam was seized along with other illegal substances, including
cocaine and marijuana.
Use and Effects
Flunitrazepam is ingested orally, frequently in conjunction with alcohol
or other drugs, including heroin. The drugs effects begin within
30 minutes, peak within 2 hours, and may persist for up to 8 hours or
more, depending upon the dosage. Adverse effects associated with the use
of flunitrazepam include decreased blood pressure, memory impairment,
drowsiness, visual disturbances, dizziness, confusion, gastrointestinal
disturbances, and urinary retention. Paradoxically, although the drug
is classified as a depressant, flunitrazepam can induce excitability or
aggressive behavior in some users.
Flunitrazepam use causes dependence in humans. Once dependence has developed,
abstention induces withdrawal symptoms, including headache, muscle pain,
extreme anxiety, tension, restlessness, confusion, and irritability. Numbness,
tingling of the extremities, loss of identity, hallucinations, delirium,
convulsions, shock, and cardiovascular collapse also may occur. Withdrawal
seizures can occur a week or more after cessation of use. As with other
benzodiazepines, treatment for flunitrazepam dependence must be gradual,
with use tapering off.
Flunitrazepam is touted as an effective parachute or remedy
for the depression that follows a stimulant high. Reports indicate that
flunitrazepam is used by drug addicts in Spain and Malaysia to allay withdrawal
symptoms and to gain a state of oblivion. Abuse of the drug in Western
Europe and the Caribbean has been reported over the last 10 years. In
Germany, Roche recently removed the 2-milligram dosage from retail distributionrestricting
it to hospital use onlydue to the increasing abuse of flunitrazepam
in that country.
In the United States, flunitrazepam is used widely in Texas where it is
popular among high school students. Flunitrazepam is reported to be readily
available in the Miami area, and epidemiologists from that area have stated
that it is South Floridas fastest growing drug problem. Additional
reports from Miami indicate that the largest and fastest growing group
of flunitrazepam users are high school students who take the drug with
alcohol or use it after cocaine ingestion. Two common misperceptions about
flunitrazepam may explain the drugs popularity among young people:
first, many erroneously believe that the drug is unadulteratedand
therefore safebecause it comes in presealed bubble packs;
second, many mistakenly think its use cannot be detected by urinalysis
testing.
Flunitrazepam is sold under the trade name Rohypnol, from which the street
name Rophy is derived. In South Florida, street names include
circles, Mexican valium, rib, roach-2,
roofies, roopies, rope, ropies,
and ruffies. Being under the influence of the drug is referred
to as being roached out. In Texas, flunitrazepam is called
R-2, or roaches.
Scheduling
In 1983, flunitrazepam was placed into Schedule IV of the 1971 United
Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances. To comply with the convention,
the United States placed flunitrazepam in Schedule IV of the Controlled
Substances Act of 1970 (CSA), despite little evidence of its abuse. In
March 1995, flunitrazepam was moved to Schedule III by the World Health
Organization, requiring more thorough record keeping on its licit distributionthe
first benzodiazepine to require more rigid controls. However, due to recent
increases in seizures and abuse of this drug, DEA currently is reviewing
the possibility of placing flunitrazepam into Schedule I of the CSA. A
Schedule I drug is considered to have a high potential for abuse, to have
no currently accepted medical use in treatment, and to lack accepted levels
of safety for use under medical supervision.
Outlook
The distribution and abuse of flunitrazepam, in all likelihood, will continue
to increase within certain segments of society in the United States, particularly
among abusers of other illicit drugs and high school students who mistakenly
believe that the drug is harmless. Of greatest concern to drug law enforcement
authorities is the involvement of cocaine and marijuana traffickers in
the distribution of flunitrazepam. Polydrug traffickers increasingly are
smuggling the drug into the country and distributing it through their
established illicit channels. The DEA will continue to monitor this emerging
threat and to work to reduce the availability of flunitrazepam in the
United States.
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