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Many Drugs Involved in Cases of Substance-Related Sexual Assault SAN FRANCISCO, CA. -- February 16, 1998 -- Drug-related rape can involve many substances, according to results of a study presented here today at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences annual meeting. "Although only a couple of substances have been labeled 'date rape drugs'," said Dr. Mahmoud A. ElSohly, who presented the study, "we have found that almost 20 different substances have been associated with this crime." "In our study, the largest number of samples, by far, contained alcohol, and almost 40 percent of the positive samples contained multiple substances," Dr. ElSohly said. "Clearly, this is not a problem limited to one or two drugs." Dr. ElSohly reported that of 578 samples tested: - 208 contained alcohol - 93 contained marijuana - 40 contained cocaine - 32 contained GHB; 11 of these also contained alcohol and 14 also contained other drugs - Only five contained flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), and of those five, only one contained flunitrazepam alone; four contained other substances including alcohol, cocaine and opiates. "Testing technology available today helps rape victims and law enforcement agencies get the facts about these incidents and will help communicate accurate information to the public about these situations," Dr. ElSohly said. The study was undertaken at the request of law enforcement officials and to assess the validity of anecdotal accounts of Rohypnol (flunitrazepam), a prescription medication for severe sleep disorders available outside the United States and Canada, being used to spike the drinks of unsuspecting women in connection with rape. Other medications also have received recent media attention in connection with rape, including GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate), a central nervous system depressant that is manufactured illegally in the US, and ketamine, a veterinary anesthetic. Law enforcement agencies, hospital emergency rooms and rape crisis centers across the United States were offered the opportunity to submit urine samples of sexual assault victims to ElSohly Laboratories, Inc., in Oxford, Miss., for analysis. Samples are tested for a range of controlled substances, including flunitrazepam and other benzodiazepines, GHB, marijuana, cocaine, codeine, morphine, and amphetamines as well as alcohol. The study covers an 18-month period from June 1996 through December 1997, during which 578 samples from 41 states were analyzed. This service continues to be offered, and as of January 28, 1998, 638 samples have been submitted. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. funds the testing program as a public service. The assay method developed by Dr. ElSohly was published in the September 1997 issue of the Journal of Analytical Toxicology to enable other laboratories to conduct the assays. ElSohly Laboratories is an internationally renowned forensic toxicology laboratory, certified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the College of American Pathologists. Offering analytical, testing and advisory services to the drug-testing community for over a decade, ElSohly Laboratories was the first to develop a reliable assay to detect flunitrazepam metabolites in urine and is one of the few toxicology labs in the United States that tests for GHB. E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version