What is Rohypnol?

Rohypnol is the brand name of a drug called flunitrazepam. It is a surgical anesthetic or sleeping pill used legally by doctors around the world. It is about 10 times more potent than most common prescription sleeping pills. Rohypnol is illegal in the U.S. and Canada, but is smuggled in from other countries.

The pills are usually round, white, and labeled "Roche," with a circled number "1" or "2." Sometimes, the pills are ground up into a powder. Rohypnol dissolves quickly in liquid. It has a bitter taste when mixed in a drink, but like GHB, its taste can be mostly covered.

The good news about Rohypnol is that its manufacturer, Hoffman-LaRoche, has made a new formulation of the drug that could be harder to abuse. The newer version of Rohypnol will turn blue when it is put in a drink, and it will take longer to dissolve. Naturally, someone who has a dark-colored drink will still need to take extra steps to be safe. Everyone else should be better protected against abuse by means of this drug.