99
:dnesday • November 12, 1997
Lifestyles
' y
lile ‘date rape drug’ is not common in B-CS, police
m students to exercise caution in any social situations
By Stephen Wells
Staff writer
14 hours in a day, 24 beers in a
case.” It is no coincidence so
(many college students are fa-
.withthis turn of phrase, especial-
istudents of Texas A&M, who be-
liiey consume more beer per capita
f my other school in the nation. Af-
many binges, though, good-old
aedalcohol begins to lose some of
, More and more, students are
agtomore dangerous practices to
e letter buzz.
eofthe notorious drugs of the ’90s
pnol, an illegal drug in the United
‘that was at once a prescription
iised to treat sleep disorders. The
, as been in the media for its use as
kL/fdnig-
te alcohol, rohypnol is a depres-
iis the case with other depres-
^rohypnol should never be com-
^:ivith alcohol.
Vnlones of the Brazos Valley Nar-
^ Trafficking Task Force described
emistry of rohypnol.
lie molecular shape is similar to
k" Jones said. “From what people
aiing, it’s supposed to be stronger.
?it’smixed with alcohol, there is a
raunding effect. Say, instead of two
ktwo being four, two times two
.i twenty.”
•tattitude narcotics officers are in-
fed to take towards drugs like ro-
rorm q |li5sharply defined.
■iir standpoint is that any pre-
i ch ^iiondrug taken without a doctor’s
^ es f ttf ipti°n is dangerous,” Jones said.
O pol is not available as a pre
lion drug anymore. And any time
you’re mixing drugs with alcohol you’re
risking death.”
The abuse of rohypnol is so wide
spread its manufacturer, Roche Labora
tories, began to issue warning pam
phlets and posters to community
centers. Among the warnings was a de
scription of an amnesia effect experi
enced by users for several hours after the
drug is ingested.
This amnesia effect has made the
drug popular with rapists. Rodney Sigler,
patrol sergeant for the College Station
Police Department, said the environ
ment students put themselves in may
put them at risk.
u
When you hear of its use as
a date rape drug, it is intro
duced into the victims drink with
out their knowledge. They become
intoxicated to the point where they
cannot resist an attack.”
Dan Jones
Brazos Valley Narcotics Trafficking Task Force
“I think college is the prime target for
it (rape assisted by rohypnol) because
that is the dating age,” Sigler said.
Jones said almost all accounts of the
use of rohypnol in rape follow the same
sequence of events.
“When you hear of its use as a ‘date
rape drug’ it is introduced into the victim’s
drink without their knowledge,” Jones
said. “They become intoxicated to the
point that they cannot resist an attack.”
Making rohypnol abuse harder to
identify is the drug’s alcohol-like effects.
The user will appear drunk but will pass
a breathalizer test.
Adding to the problem is the apparent
ease with which the drug is bought. While
rohypnol is a controlled substance ac
cording to Schedule IV of the Federal Con
trolled Substances Act, it is readily avail
able as a prescription drug in Mexico.
“It’s relatively easy for a person to go
across the border and get some,” Jones
said. “It’s not hard to get a prescription
for it in Mexico, then transport it back
into Texas with you.”
Rohypnol may be making its way into
College Station night life.
“I personally don’t know of any con
firmed cases,” Sigler said. “You do hear
stories and rumors about it, but I don’t
know of any arrests made.”
Jones said students at A&M should
not be afraid to contact the police if they
see something suspicious. Students can
call Crime Stoppers (775-8477) or any
police agency to leave anonymous tips
about use of the drug.
“We get bogged down in some of
these major conspiracy cases involving
crack and heroin,” Jones said. “We’d like
to get more information about rohypnol,
and we’d like to encourage people to
come forward with information.”
Safeguarding against the negative ef
fects of rohypnol is not impossible but
does demand some concessions be
made. Students should not go to the club
or bar alone or accept open drinks from
a stranger.
Please see Drug on Page 5.
Self-defense classes
raise crime awareness
By Marium Mohiuddin
Staff writer
T omorrow is the big Organic Chemistry
test. That means an all-nighter for the
typical student who probably procras
tinated. After pouring hours and hours into
the six chapters for the test, the clock strikes
midnight and the student may decide, “I am
tired, and I want to sleep.”
So the long trek begins back to their car,
which is parked quite a distance from the li
brary. The path to the parking area is desert
ed and through a dimly-lit area. Faintly, foot
steps can be heard from behind. The
footsteps become louder and they seem to
become more intense and determined to get
closer. However, the student, not trusting
their instincts, decides, “it is just another stu
dent walking to their car.”
Connie Lavergne, author of Self Defense
From the Beginning, said overcrowded pris
ons, personnel shortages and liberal proba
tion and parole standards contribute to vio
lent crime.
“The U.S. Department of Justice indicates in
their annual statistical report that five out of six
people will be victims of violent crimes (rape,
robbery and assault), either completed or at
tempted, at least once in their lives,” Lavergne
said in her book. “About half the population will
be victimized by violent crime more than once.
Approximately one out of every 133 Americans
will become a murder victim.”
Many universities and colleges are facing
an increase in violent crimes.
Texas A&M University has various pro
grams such as Dial-a-Ride and the Corps Es
cort Service to ensure safety of students.
These programs may help, but the best de
fense for a student is to realize potential risks,
assess dangerous situations and be prepared
for a possible attack.
A&M provides self-defense classes to teach
students techniques for protecting them
selves. These classes focus on physical as well
as mental techniques in defending them
selves against an attack.
Classes are not only offered through the ki-
neseology department but also through Uni
versity Plus.
Maiyum Shaheed, a senior psychology
major, said the classes have helped her to re
alize situations and how to handle problems.
“It (the self-defense class) teaches you how
to be alert and how to carry yourself," Shaheed
said. “You have to walk with confidence and
pay attention to what is going on. People are
not aware of their surroundings; they become
engrossed in themselves or their conversations.
They do not look around and pay attention.”
Please see Classes on Page 5.
K
.
DEREK DEMERE/The Battalion
The Kinesiology department offers self-defense classes to students in the G. Rollie White Coliesum.
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Mule for the Pre-Registration Workshop:
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Workshop - How to get the most out of
the sessions and the kinds of questions to
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9:00 p.m. Break Out Sessions:
[iHBustness Students-Do you know the Basics? This
'ion will include information about choosing a major,
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National Business, Study Abroad programs, degree
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'answer questions on degree requirements and other
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bring a copy of your degree audit:
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You will take a total of two courses hours), consisiting of the following course:
ARTS 350: Arts and Civilization
Prof. Joe Hutchinson or
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PSYC 489: Special Topics In the History of Psychology:
Psychology and the Renaissance
Prof. Dave Woehr
For More Information, Contact:
Prof, Joe Hutchinson
337 EUAC
845-0584
E-mail: jmhutch<ff>arcttonr.Xantu.edu
Office hours:
MWF 3:00-4:40
Thursday 11:00-12:00
or by appointment
Prof. Dave Woehr
209 PSYC
84S-2097
E-mail: />IVJCafPsyc.TAMV.Edu
Office hours:
Thursday 8:30-9:30/11:00-12:30
or by appointment
study Abroad Programs * tei Bizzcli Hall west - 845-OS44
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The Container Store promotes a smoke-free, drug-free environment. EOE.
For more information,
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Announcing
Texas A&M University
General Libraries
Booksale
in the
Academic Building Rotunda
Silent Auction
Thursday, November 13
9:00 A.M. - 4:00 RM.
General Booksale
Friday, November 14
9:00 A.M. - 5:00 RM.