Rapists don't have to use physical force to get what they want anymore. They can just slip a couple of pills in your drink. They can go to a bar and say, "I'll have a vodka and tonic, and I'll have that blonde over there," and get both.

Their weapon? The "rape drugs," Ruffies and GHB.

Ruffies(or rohypnol, a.k.a. the forget pill, lunch money, potatoes, mind erasers, pluses or minuses) are manufactured abroad by Roche drug company and are legally distributed in 64 countries as sleeping pills or anesthetic preparations. They are illegal in the U.S., and possession is a federal offense. They are readily available on the streets, however, in 1 mg and 2 mg tablets.

Rohypnol is a fast-acting sedative, and can render a victim unconscious within 20-30 minutes. Combined with alcohol, it can lead to coma and possibly death. Disturbingly, it produces complete or partial amnesia with regard to what happened after ingestion.

GHB (or gamma-hydroxybutyrate, a.k.a. grievous bodily harm, liquid ecstasy, easy lay, g-juice, energy drink) can be made by anyone who follows the recipes readily available on the internet. It is a clear liquid, usually passed around in small bottles such as eye-dropper containers, and slipped into drinks. Because it is home-made, batches vary in potency. It used to be used for body-building, but is now the subject of an FDA warning.

GHB is a depressant affecting the central nervous system, and its effects are felt within 15 minutes. Like ruffies, it can cause amnesia, unconsciousness, coma and (when combined with alcohol) death.

If you feel more intoxicated than usual, or if you wake up feeling fuzzy and unable to remember what happened, or if you think someone had sex with you and you have no knowledge of what happened . . .

. . . go to the Student Health Center or the Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center and say that you fear you were drugged. Request that a urine sample for drug toxicology testing be taken. Preserve any possible physical evidence - don't urinate or shower or rinse your clothing. Tell the police what happened and ask them to search the place where the party was held for glasses and other evidence.