History of Rohypnol
Every product that is in existence has a history or background information that facilitates the current situation of the same product. There are a number of substances that are used today, positively and negatively, but the real history and background information is not well-informed amidst the users. Sometimes, it is noticed that such products had a fundamental intention while manufacturing it but later people find other uses in them. Rohypnol, generically known as flunitrazepam, is a drug or a substance that records an important history after the many years of its making. Importantly, the main intention was to act as an intermediate of benzodiazepine which had general properties that are same as those of diazepam. Primarily, it was manufactured to help the doctors and patients in medical assistance especially when deep sleep was needed. Also, it was to be used to treat insomnia as a short-term option, a medication before surgery, and for the induction of anesthesia. After being established by t he Swiss pharmaceutical company known as Hoffman-La-Roche, it was ready to be put into practice and by then, people were working on the basis of the manufacturer’s intentions. Later, people came to learn that the drug can be used as something to make one feel ‘high' and illegal trade was established. The later adapted behaviors were against the main intentions of the manufacturers and the government had to intervene as the rate of crime facilitated by such drug grew fast. The black market for the Rohypnol was introduced, as the law enforcers were in touch with every move made by the illegal traders. Surprisingly, even after its long existence in about other 60 countries, the United States has never approved it and it is not legalized either for sale or use. However, with no yet approval form the licensing board in the United States, Rohypnol is now scheduled with other benzodiazepines as a controlled substance in Schedule IV. Under the act of Drug-Induced Rape Prevention, the penalties related to the trafficking of such tablets are similar to those of Schedule I to III, as per the quantity ( Velasquez, Andre, Shanks & Meyer, 2015) .
According to Baia et al. (2016), t he Swiss pharmaceutical company known as Hoffman-La-Roche did a first description and development of benzodiazepines in the early 1950s. With that, Roche modified the basic structure of benzodiazepine and made the introduction of some tranquilizers between the years the 1960s and 1970s. With that, there was the inclusion of Rohypnol in 1975. Having a wide feature of being prescribed as a sedative-hypnotic in the West parts of Europe and being legalized in various countries, it is not yet to be approved for its manufacturing or selling in the United States. There were a lot of cases of the drug being misused in Europe, and it led to the reclassification of the drug from Schedule IV to Schedule III on Europe between the years 1970 and 1995. With that, it was an intrusion of the idea of record keeping thoroughly of its distribution legally that was different from the previous one. From the classification, the substances classified in Schedule IV have a lower potential of being abused that is relative to those substances that are classified to be in Schedule III ( Baia et al., 2016) . During the early years of 1990, the drug emerged as a drug for abuse, and it received a lot of misusage in the United States leading to some states reclassifying it as a Schedule I substance as per the level of the state. Meanwhile, DEA is reviewing its applicability, and it is considering its possible for a reclassification too.
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Fig1. History of Rohypnol
In Europe, since 1972, Rohypnol has been in use when the Swiss company Roche facilitated its production. In the category of medicine, it was used by the sedate individuals. Later, it was introduced to the United States around the year 1984. It is with great effect that powerfully and addictively, the government made the conclusion and ranked the ranked to be illegal. With its characteristics of being illegal, surprisingly, it is still available in the United States. People use it with a given target, and it is reported that it is utilized for the facilitation of sexual assault or the decrease of the challenges or rather problems that are associated with the abuse of methamphetamine. Also, the addiction of Rohypnol has been experienced in multiple countries since there is the availability of the black-market distribution which makes it easier to reach people but illegally. The nations from Western Europe offer the drug rather often. The dependence of the Rohypnol has been the outcome of the many experienced deaths that have a great relationship with the intoxication and overdose severally. The cases were reported to be mostly associated with alcohol. The sedation that is associated with the drug commences after a few minutes, and it may last up to a quarter of the day. To reduce the crime of people using the drug to facilitate the rape incidences, in 1990, Roche went ahead to design a new tablet that had the capability of turning water to be blue when it is dissolved, and put a condition that the tablet to only dissolve in a quick manner in liquids that are hot or have high temperatures. When the tablets are mixed with the alcohol, the depression of CNS becomes much serious as what can occur is a stupor, depression of respiratory, blackout, and sometimes death. Other effects of Rohypnol are; a relaxed feeling that is same to that of alcohol, dizziness, confusion, headaches, tremors, impairment of the memory, decline in the level of blood pressure, muscle relaxation, paradoxical effects to some of users, and a state regarded as anterograde amnesia ( Gerber & Gaudilliere, 2016). However, the designation was not fully successful as people designed illegal production of the original drug at it still exists. Hence individuals still have access to the tablets that are fast dissolving.
Primarily, the history of Rohypnol has a deep intertwining with that of the benzodiazepines. Originality is encompassed with the benzodiazepines being developed in the 1950s. The great works were from the scientist Leo Sternbach as he was working in the same organization of the Swiss pharmaceutical company of the Hoffman-La Roche. Sternbach was the director of his group that encompassed of different researchers that assisted him in the creation and introduction of many benzodiazepines. From the significant research, the Rohypnol intervened as the knowledge had a primary route in 1975 by the Hoffman-la Roche. The main was the doctors to have an alternative that is safe for the activities of barbiturates, that had a high tendency of the risk of depression in the process of respiration. Benzodiazepines gained much popularity in the times of 1970s as many doctors and patients came to appreciate the effects in the process of medical performance ( Yamagishi, Akashi, Shimizu, Ishida, Tanabe, Sugiyama & Hamabe, 2018) . However, by the time 1980s reached, the providers of medical assistance began to voice concerns on the issues of abuse and high rate of dependence on it. The providers of medical activities and the arm of legislation started to modify restrictions on its usage and the effects of benzodiazepines during the particular time.
The main intention of developing the benzodiazepines was to help in the sector of medicine especially to the healthcare and the pharmaceutical settings. After the first sell of the drugs by Roche in 1975, it was appreciated well as the effects were important especially to the patients that required deep sleep. The commercial state of sale was established in 1975 in Europe, and in the United States in the years 1990. That was the time the drug was branded Rohypnol. It was later described as a recreational drug the youngsters used it in the clubs and pubs frequently ( Yamagishi et al., 2018) . However, the report cases of the abuse of Rohypnol moved the substance from its status of being prescribed drug to the status of a scheduled drug in the 1990s. Legally, it is found in Mexico, some areas of Europe and mostly in Asia. The state of the drug posing dangers that overwhelm the medical benefits makes it be a banned drug in the United States. Responsively, the United States Congress through the Drug-Induced Rape Prevention Act passed the law in 1996 to respond to the trend that was growing associated with drug-facilitated sexual assaults ( Velasquez et al., 2015) . The act was significant as it provided penalties that were harsher for the distribution of the substances that are controlled without the consent of the individual and also with the intention of committing a crime either of violence or murder, with the inclusion of sexual assault. Under the act, there is passed punishment for the importation and distribution of the Rohypnol which is inclusive of 20 years in prison together with a fine. Primarily, possession is encompassed with a punishment of three years as well as a fine.
Conclusively, the history of the Rohypnol forms the foundation of the effects and misuse of the drugs that later came to exist. It is evident that Rohypnol exists and people are misusing it. The effects are observed amongst the users that extend to other people who fall to be victims. From the above-discussed history of Rohypnol, it is clear that the misuse, regular use, and obsession lead to negative effects that turn to be serious leading to death in some cases ( Yamagishi et al., 2018) . It is sad for an individual to be raped and to make it worse, confusion and forgetting hits the victim hence no justice is taken. However, with no yet approval form the licensing board in the United States, Rohypnol is now scheduled with other benzodiazepines as a controlled substance in Schedule IV. Also, under the act of Drug-Induced Rape Prevention, the penalties related to the trafficking of such tablets are similar to those of Schedule I to III, as per the quantity and they should be enhanced and fastened to make sure that they face the justice.
References
Agarwal, S. K., & Cloyd, J. C. (2014). Development of benzodiazepines for out-of-hospital management of seizure emergencies. Neurology: Clinical Practice , 10-1212.
Baia, T. C., Campos, A., Wanderley, B. M. S., & Gama, R. A. (2016). The Effect of Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol®) on the Development of C hrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794)(Diptera: Calliphoridae) and its Implications for Forensic Entomology. Journal of forensic sciences , 61 (4), 1112-1115.
Gerber, L., & Gaudilliere, J. P. (2016). Marketing Masked Depression: Physicians, Pharmaceutical Firms, and the Redefinition of Mood Disorders in the 1960s and 1970s. Bulletin of the History of Medicine , 90 (3), 455-490.
Velasquez, M., Andre, C., Shanks, T., & Meyer, M. J. (2015). Justice and fairness. Retrieved on .
Yamagishi, T., Akashi, A., Shimizu, H., Ishida, T., Tanabe, T., Sugiyama, K., & Hamabe, Y. (2018). Flunitrazepam overdose induces brilliant ‐ blue gastric fluid. Acute medicine & surgery , 5 (2), 202-203.
