WOMEN USE ``DATE RAPE'' DRUG, U.S. STUDY FINDS

CHICAGO (Reuters) --

Some women in the United States may be voluntarily taking the so-called
"date rape" drug for the high it provides, a study said Tuesday.

A survey of 900 women aged between 14 and 26 found nearly 6 percent of those
questioned admitted taking flunitrazepam -- most commonly known as Rohypnol
and nicknamed "roofies" -- of their own free will.

The colorless, tasteless drug, which comes in pill form and can be easily
slipped into a drink, has a history of being used on unsuspecting women by
predators who then rape them while they are in a euphoric state similar to
drunkenness.

"It is difficult to speculate whether the use of (the drug) is a passing fad
or will become an epidemic," said the study by the University of Texas
Medical Branch at Galveston published in this month's issue of "Pediatrics,"
the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"To decrease the likelihood of this drug becoming even more popular among
young people, it is critical to alert potential users to its dangers," it
added.

In combination with alcohol, the drug can cause breathing problems and even
death. It is not licensed for sale in the United States but is sold in some
other countries as a sedative and hypnotic drug.