Pubdate: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 Source: Martlet (CN BC Edu) Copyright: 2005 Martlet Publishing Society Contact: http://www.martlet.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3140 Author: Pablo Miramontes Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/date+rape (date rape) DATE RAPE DRUGS VS. BOOZE Re: Conservative MP James Moore's motion to classify "date rape drugs" as weapons. Any sexual assault is tragic. However, it is a disservice to your readers to accept the facts given to you without question. Mr. Moore's statement that GHB and Rohypnol are "always a precursor to a greater crime" is false. What he may find hard to grasp is that people take these substances willingly for their effects. Regarding their use as aids to assault, a 1998 study of rape victims who said they were drugged found that only one per cent tested positive for GHB while 36 per cent tested positive for alcohol despite the fact that GHB is detectable for a longer period of time. Many studies find that a majority of date rape victims were drinking. It seems that alcohol is more widely used as a date rape drug and it is freely available. It is questionable what banning "date rape drugs" will accomplish. Rape is already illegal, however, it still occurs. This bill will only harm people who use politically incorrect intoxicants and not the more widely used (and conducive to the abuse of others) drug that is alcohol. Pablo Miramontes - ---