Editor’s Note: Erin Weed founded the Girls Fight Back program after her sorority sister was murdered in June 2001. Determined to prevent similar tragedies, Erin created Girls Fight Back to educate women about campus security, personal safety, violence protection and self-defense. She now travels the nation giving personal safety seminars and has spoken to over 100,000 women nationwide. The following column is excerpted from her book, Girls Fight Back!:The College Girl’s Guide to Protecting Herself.

Danger in Pill Form

The definition of a predatory drug is a substance used to incapacitate an individual for purposes of entertainment or to commit a crime. While most people assume that the most popular means to incapacitate a woman involves some crazy drug they have never heard of, actually, the number one predatory drug in America is alcohol. It is often used to intoxicate women to the point that a person can take advantage of her.

The bottom line is that being intoxicated, drugged or unconscious makes you unable to consent to any sort of sexual activity. Unfortunately, many victims who were raped while intoxicated tend to blame themselves for the attack, thinking things like, “I shouldn’t have gotten so hammered. I probably gave him the wrong idea.” To make matters worse, there are some campus ideologies that anyone who gets really drunk and claims rape was asking for it. Regardless of how drunk you might be, it is never an invitation for rape or sexual assault. The rapist is the only one to blame.

Besides alcohol, here are descriptions of the most widely used predatory drugs on college campuses today:

Rohypnol (brand name for flunitrazepam)
Most popularly termed as the date rape drug, Rohypnol was one of the first drugs on the scene that offenders were slipping into people’s drinks. It is a very potent tranquilizer, used in more than 50 countries to treat sleep disorders in psychiatric patients. Rohypnol is illegal in the United States.

When combined with alcohol, it can produce disinhibiting effects within 20-30 minutes. The major side effect is anterograde amnesia, which means you can’t remember much, if anything, about the incident. Not being able to remember details of the rape leads to problems when trying to convict a rapist in court.

Other common predatory drug names include:

GHB

Ketamine

MDMA

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How can I avoid getting drugged?

*Look out for your friends. Make a pact to check in with each other.

*Whoever goes out together goes home together!

*Watch your drink and take it with you wherever you go. Don’t rely on someone else to keep an eye on it, even those you trust. They could get distracted.

*B.Y.O. if you can. If not, watch your drink being made and don’t hesitate to get rid of a drink that tastes weird. If you doubt it, ditch it!

*Decline mass-produced jungle juice and don’t drink from bottles being passed around.

*Don’t accept drinks from the handsome (or not so handsome) stranger.

*Be wary of someone who keeps refilling your drink without your request. 

*Have a designated sober person in the group. This is the go-to person if someone gets into trouble.

*Have a pre-planned way home. Program a cab number or other ride service into your cell and always carry cab fare with you. I keep a hidden $20 bill in my wallet, just in case.

*If you smoke, bring your own. If you bum one off someone, be aware of strange tastes or odors. Don’t hesitate to stomp it out if something tastes weird.

*Always eat before going out. Having food in your belly helps absorb the alcohol.