The term "date rape" is widely used, but most experts prefer the term "drug-facilitated sexual assault."

The drugs used to help people commit date rape and other crimes, such as robbery and physical assault, are mentioned below. They are used on both men and women. The term "date rape" also can be misleading because the person who commits the crime might not be dating the victim. Rather, it could be an acquaintance or stranger.

What are date-rape drugs?

These are drugs that are sometimes used to assist a sexual assault. Sexual assault is any type of sexual activity that a person does not agree to. These drugs are powerful and dangerous, and they can be slipped into your drink when you are not looking.

The drugs often have no color, smell or taste, so you can't tell if you are being drugged. They can make you become weak and confused - or even pass out - so that you are unable to refuse sex or defend yourself. If you are drugged, you might not remember what happened while you were drugged. Date-rape drugs are used on both females and males.

The three most common date-rape drugs are listed below. Some of these drugs are legal when lawfully used for medical purposes. But that doesn't mean they are safe. They should only be used under a doctor's care and order.

y Rohypnol (roh-HIP-nol) - Rohypnol is used in some 80 countries to treat insomnia but is illegal in the U.S. Rohypnol has many different names, including roofies, roopies and rophies. This drug can make a victim look and act as if he or she were intoxicated, or can render him or her unconscious for up to 12 hours and without memory of those hours.

Mixed with alcohol, the effects can last up to 36 hours. Rohypnol comes as a pill that dissolves in liquids. When slipped into a drink, a dye in these new pills makes clear liquids turn bright blue and dark drinks turn cloudy. But this color change might be hard to see in a dark drink, like cola or dark beer, or in a dark room. Also, pills with no dye are still available. The pills may be ground into powder.

y GHB, which is short for gamma hydroxybutyerate - This is also known as G, Gamma 10, gook or liquid X. This drug was recently made legal in the United States to treat problems from narcolepsy. However, it is also made in illegal labs or by amateur chemists. GHB has a salty taste and is sometimes mixed in salty drinks or sweet drinks to mask the taste.

y Ketamine - This is also known as black hole, K and special K. It comes as a liquid and a white powder. It is a legal drug but is legitimate only as an animal tranquilizer.

It has the same incapacitating effects and memory loss as the other drugs, but the strong hallucinatory component makes it different. Actually, the individual on ketamine could be all the way from unconscious to wild, aggressive or violent.

How can you protect yourself from being a victim?

y Don't accept drinks from other people.

y Open containers yourself.

y Keep your drink with you at all times, even when you go to the bathroom.

y Don't share drinks.

y If someone offers to get you a drink from a bar or at a party, go with the person to order your drink. Watch the drink being poured and carry it yourself.

y Don't drink anything that tastes or smells strange.

y Have a nondrinking friend with you to make sure nothing happens.

y If you realize you left your drink unattended, pour it out.

y If you feel drunk and haven't drunk any alcohol or if you feel like the effects of drinking alcohol are stronger than usual, get help right away.

Are there ways to tell if you might have been drugged and raped?

Most victims don't remember being drugged or assaulted. The victim might not be aware of the attack until eighth or 12 hours after it occurred. These drugs also leave the body very quickly. Once a victim gets help, there might be no proof that drugs were involved in the attack. But there are some signs that you might have been drugged:

y You feel drunk and haven't drunk any alcohol or you feel like the effects of drinking alcohol are stronger than usual.

y You wake up feeling hung over and disoriented or having no memory of a period of time.

y You remember having a drink but cannot recall anything after that.

y You find that your clothes are torn or not on right.

y You feel like you had sex, but you cannot remember it.

What should you do if you think you've been drugged and raped?

Get medical care right away. Call 911 or have a trusted friend take you to a hospital emergency room. Don't urinate, douche, bathe, brush your teeth, wash your hands, change clothes or eat or drink before you go. These things may give evidence of the rape. The hospital will use a "rape kit" to collect evidence.

Call the police from the hospital. Tell the police exactly what you remember. Be honest about all your activities. Remember, nothing you did - including drinking alcohol or doing drugs - can justify rape.

Ask the hospital to take a urine sample to test for date-rape drugs. The drugs leave your system quickly. Rohypnol stays in the body for several hours, and can be detected in the urine up to 72 hours after taking it. GHB leaves the body in 12 hours. Don't urinate before going to the hospital.

Don't pick up or clean up where you think the assault might have occurred. There could be evidence left behind - such as on a drinking glass or bed sheets.

Get counseling and treatment. Feelings of shame, guilt, fear and shock are normal. A counselor can help you work through these emotions and begin the healing process. Calling a crisis center or a hotline is a good place to start. One national hotline is the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE.

For more information on date rape drugs, call womenshealth.gov at 800-994-9662 or call Western Prevention Resource Center at 342-1593.

Vonnie L. Ackerman is coordinator of Youth & Family Services Western Prevention Resource Center. Contact her at 342-1593.