Date Rape - Drug-facilitated Sexual Assault

Drug-facilitated Sexual Assault

Drug-facilitated sexual assault is the use of alcohol and/or drugs to assist the attacker in a sexual assault.

The alcohol and/or drugs may be knowingly or unknowingly consumed by the victim. That is, sometimes perpetrators intentionally drug a victim and other times perpetrators take advantage of someone who is already drunk and/or high. Both of these scenarios are drug-facilitated sexual assault.

The drugs can be any substances that affect the Central Nervous System (CNS). This includes street drugs (e.g. cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy, GHB), prescription drugs (e.g. anti-depressants, tranquilizers), and over-the-counter medications (e.g. cough syrup). When these drugs are mixed with alchohol, their effects are enhanced, which makes people particularly vulnerable.