DATE RAPE DEBATE

Alliance Mp Asking That Drugs Be Considered Weapons

A controversial motion by an Alliance MP to have date rapes drugs
classified as weapons in the Criminal Code is getting a mixed reaction
from Ryerson health officials and students.

The private member's motion (M-458), which was tabled in the House of
Commons by British Columbia MP James Moore in June and officially
publicized Sept. 23, calls on the federal government to classify date
rape drugs as weapons, which would result in much stiffer penalties
for individuals caught using the sedative substances.

Under the Criminal Code of Canada, date rape drugs such as Rohypnol,
GHB and ketamine are classified as `schedule 1 drugs' -- meaning
individuals caught with possession face the same penalties as those
who are caught with cocaine or heroin.

"That doesn't make sense because those drugs [cocaine and heroin] are
not injected involuntarily. Right now, if you're caught with those
drugs, almost always what you'll get is a fine or community service. I
think there should be the same penalties as if you were carrying a
gun," said Moore, 27.

He has also launched an awareness campaign on the dangers of date rape
drugs. The campaign will make its way across 48 Canadian campuses this
fall, including York University and UofT.

Date rape drugs are easily slipped into drinks and food and once
ingested, they act rapidly, rendering the victim unconscious and
unresponsive with little or no memory of what happens while the drug
was active in their system. Experts say the drugs leave the body
within 24 to 48 hours of being ingested and that they do not show up
in routine toxicology screenings or blood tests.

Although several Ryerson health officials and student representatives
support Moore's campaign, not all of them agree with the controversial
move to classify date rape drugs as weapons.

"I've never heard of anything quite so absurd in my life," said Walter
Cavalier, a counsellor at Ryerson. "It's a publicity stunt."

Cavalier, who is also president of the Toronto Harm Reduction Task
Force -- a community group that helps to reduce the harm associated
with drugs -- said in the six years he has been working at Ryerson, he
has not counselled one student who was victimized by a date rape drug.

"[Rohypnol] is very, very rare in Toronto. It's not a common drug
because it's a pharmaceutical. It's not made in the kitchen," said
Cavalier.

Hayley Simmons, a first-year early childhood education student, also
has some hesitations about the motion brought forward by Moore.

"It's good that they would increase the penalties but I think they
have to start worrying about actual weapons like knives and guns,"
said Simmons.

But not everyone agrees with Cavalier and Simmons.

"I think they should try and pass that law," said Lisa Dobson, a
second-year business student. She said she has never had any personal
experience with Rohypnol but believes a friend of hers may have had
her drink spiked during a party in the summer.

"I'm pretty cautious if I'm drinking a mixed drink -- it's never
unattended. If a guy's buying me a drink, I go with him and I watch
them pour it," said Dobson.

Cavalier says effective education campaigns, and not private member's
bills, are going to solve the problem. He would also like to see more
emphasis put on educating students about the dangers of alcohol, a
drug he says is even more dangerous than Rohypnol.

"Alcohol is the major date rape drug," said Cavalier. "We do get
people coming in the door who have been drunk and get raped." "I think
there's many different avenues people can take to educate people --
media campaigns, guest speakers, sex crime experts," he said

Alison Burnett, a health promotions nurse at Ryerson, said she is
working with RyeSAC on a date rape drug awareness campaign that she
hopes to launch in the next few months.

Moore, who said he has already gathered thousands of signatures from
students to have date rape drugs classified as weapons, hopes to
present the petition to the House on Remembrance Day. He expects the
House to address his motion in the spring.