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At the end of a long week, everyone needs a little downtime. For some people that is a cup of tea and a good book; for others dancing and drinks are in order. It’s great to have a night out with friends, enjoy some music and dancing; maybe a few drinks too. If you are going out where you will be having a few drinks be sure to keep an eye on your glass, even if it isn’t alcohol.
Roofies, or the date rape drug, is a benzodiazepine similar to Valium or Xanax. The drug is referred to most commonly as a roofie. Roofies act on your central nervous system to quickly sedate you. Roofies are illegal in the United States but make their way into the country through various channels. Know the symptoms of being roofied by reading below.
- Your drink changes color. Even if you turned your back for a minute in a full bar, take a good look at your drink. If it was white wine or sparkling water, but now has a greenish-blue tint to it, put it down and do not even taste it. After many instances of drinks being spiked with roofies the manufacturer changed the pill from white to olive green with a blue core. Turning colors is a telltale sign that your drink has been tampered with.
- Sudden disorientation. If the room suddenly begins to swim and you are having trouble concentrating you need to find help immediately. Roofies work very quickly, in about 10-15 minutes and the effects are long-lasting. This is just one of the symptoms of being roofied. On average you can expect to be impaired for at least 12 hours from one dose.
- Unusual Exhaustion. You were fine 10 minutes ago, but now you can barely stand you are so tired. You can’t really walk on your own and need help getting up, and getting to your car. Roofies cause sedation quickly and you may have trouble moving on your own, or even be paralyzed, making you easy prey for someone to carry out while everyone assumes that you have just had too much to drink.
- Memory Lapses. Did you wake up with no real collective memory of the night before without a reason? If you didn’t drink enough to be actually black-out drunk and have no memory of what happened the night before, you may want to be tested quickly. Roofies only stay in your systems for about 72 hours, after that, it is not detectable in your system.
Be Aware
Watch your drinks carefully when you go out for the evening and consider purchasing a drink cover. Always watch the bartender open the bottle and pour your drink. Never accept drinks from strangers brought to your table. The symptoms of being roofied come on hard and fast. If you begin suddenly having a problem for no reason such as extreme fatigue, brain fog, disorientation, dizziness, and loss of muscle control, seek help immediately from someone you trust. Your safety depends on it.
