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Knock-Out Drugs Hard to Detect

Women are often advised before going out with friends to never leave their drink unattended. Even men can fall victim to manipulation when knock-out drugs are involved. For anyone out drinking with friends, it is just sensible practice to always have control over their own glass.

Science Daily recently published a piece that suggested that drug-facilitated sexual crimes are increasing. According to the Bonn Institute for Forensic Medicine, the number of examinations on the use of intoxicants in sexual offenses within their catchment area increased 10-fold between 1997 and 2006.

A variety of substances or combinations of substances can be used to facilitate the necessary “knock-out” to attempt the sexual crime. Combinations such as alcohol and liquid ecstasy have been regularly used.

Benzodiazepines and other hypnotics have also been used, popular for their ability to take effect within 10 minutes. Victims often report disturbed perception, a dazed feeling, nausea, disinhibition and a lack of willpower.

These signs are commonly followed by the loss of consciousness for a number of hours, which gives the attacker the advantage as the victim will not remember the incident. To complicate the problem, the knock-out drugs are also hard to detect as the body rapidly breaks them down.

This report suggests that if knock-out drugs are suspected, immediate samples of urine and blood should be taken. A hair sample can also be taken if the interval between the incident and medical examination is longer and can be effective in testing up to four weeks after the incident.

A potential victim should never feel too embarrassed to seek help, but this may be the very thing that is keeping them from reporting the incident. As a result, not all incidents are being adequately reported and documented, suggesting that this is happening much more often than statistics show. Increased education and recommendations as to smart socializing can go a long way to prevent these incidents from happening in the future.