Street terms for Rohypnol: R-2, Mexican Valium, rophies, roofies, circles¹

What is the form of Rohypnol?

• Rohypnol is manufactured in pill form. The licit market for the drug is currently supplied with a 1-milligram dose in an olive green, oblong tablet, imprinted with the number 542. The new tablet includes a dye that, according to Hoffman-La Roche (the makers of Rohypnol) will be visible if it is slipped into a drink.

What are the methods of usage?

• Rohypnol is usually taken orally in pill form, but can also be crushed and snorted.²

Who uses Rohypnol?

• In Latin America and Europe, the medicine is prescribed to patients as a short-term treatment for insomnia, and as a preanesthetic medication.
• Rohypnol continues to be abused among teenagers and young adults, usually at raves and nightclubs.³

How does Rohypnol get into the United States?

• Rohypnol is usually smuggled into the United States by way of mail or delivery services.
• The drug remains readily available, mainly through pharmaceutical operators located in Mexico, especially Tijuana.⁴

How much does Rohypnol cost?

• Reports indicate that Rohypnol is often sold for between $2 and $5 per dosage unit, although it may sell for from $10 to $30 per dosage unit.⁵

What are some of the consequences of Rohypnol use?

• One of the significant effects of the drug is anterograde amnesia, a factor that strongly contributed to its inclusion in the Drug-Induced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act of 1996. Anterograde amnesia is a condition in which events that occurred while under the influence of the drug are forgotten.⁶
• In addition to the chemically induced amnesia, Rohypnol often causes decreased blood pressure, drowsiness, visual disturbances, dizziness, confusion, astrointestinal disturbances, and urinary retention.⁷
• Development of physical and psychological dependence.⁸