Rohypnol

Teens Participating in the Summer Wellness Programs

Palo Alto Medical Foundation

Rohypnol is a brand name for Flunitrazepam, a powerful sedative in the benzodiazepine class of drugs.

Rohypnol has never been approved for use in the United States. However, it is legally prescribed for medical use in more than 50 foreign countries for the treatment of insomnia and as a pre-anesthetic.

Widely known as a date-rape drug, Rohypnol is abused more frequently for other reasons — to produce profound intoxication, boost the high of heroin, and modulate the effects of cocaine.

Street Names

Rohypnol is also referred to as:

"Roofies"
"Roach"

How is it taken?

Rohypnol is available in small white tablets that can be taken:

Orally
Ground up & snorted
Ground up & dissolved into a drink.

What are the effects?

The pharmacological effects of Rohypnol include sedation, muscle relaxation, reduction in anxiety, and prevention of convulsions. It is seven to 10 times more potent than Valium.
Rohypnol may cause users to feel intoxicated; they may have slurred speech, impaired judgment, and difficulty walking.
Rohypnol also causes partial amnesia, and individuals are often unable to remember certain events that they experienced while under the influence of the drug.
The effects appear 10 to 20 minutes after taking the drug.
The effects last between four and 24 hours.

What are the dangers?

Immediate adverse effects include drowsiness, dizziness, loss of motor control, lack of coordination, slurred speech, confusion, and gastrointestinal disturbances.
Rohypnol can cause deep sedation, respiratory distress, and blackouts that can last up to 24 hours.
Chronic use can result in physical dependence and withdrawal syndrome when the drug is no longer used.
There is a potential for overdose or death to occur, especially when mixed with alcohol or other drugs.

Is it addictive?

Chronic use of flunitrazepam can result in physical and psychological dependence and the appearance of a withdrawal syndrome when the drug is discontinued.

Last Reviewed: October 2013