'Date rape' drug targeted by women's commission

A state agency plans to begin holding seminars at Michigan universities to inform women about the dangers the so-called ''date rape'' drug that can be slipped into a woman's drink to render her helpless.

''College campuses are very dangerous places for women,'' said Kathy DeGrow, executive director of the Michigan Women's Commission.

Gov. John Engler signed legislation in July making it a felony to possess the drug, gamma-hydroxybutyrate. That made Michigan one of six states to add the substance to its list of Schedule I drugs, meaning more serious penalties for offenders.

As a result, offenders caught distributing or manufacturing the drug can get up to seven years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Simple possession carries a two-year sentence, while people caught using the drug can get one year in jail.

DeGrow said about 400 students are expected to attend a seminar on the drug this month at Central Michigan University.

''Education is the most important thing,'' she told The Blade of Toledo in a story yesterday.

The drug is a central nervous system depressant first used as a possible anesthetic. Rejected by doctors, it found its way to health and diet stores, where it was sold as a muscle growth product. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned it in 1990.

However, the drug is easily made at home - recipes can be found on the Internet. In the early part of this decade, it became a popular drug with high school and college students, who liked its euphoric and hallucinatory qualities.

At the same time, some men began sneaking the substance into the drinks of unsuspecting woman. Over a two- to three-year period in Michigan, about 25 assault and rape cases were reported related to the drug, DeGrow said.

Because the drug disappears from the system two to five hours after taking it, many cases go undetected and unreported, DeGrow said. She thinks the number of rapes and assaults is much higher.

DeGrow said that among the advice her group suggests is for groups of women to have a designated person remain at tables in bars and at parties to make sure no one tampers with the drinks.

09-08-98