New Evidence On Date Rape Prompts Call For Drugs Ban

Ministers are to consider banning two new “date rape” drugs, amid warnings from experts that the true scale of sexual assaults assisted by drugs may be greater than official figures suggest.

In a report, the government’s drug advisers say substance use in rapes and sexual assaults is now a significant problem. Research concluded illicit drugs were a factor one in three assaults. Experts say that while alcohol is probably the most common “weapon”, the fact that victims in drug cases are even less likely to go the police means the true picture is unclear.

The Home Office’s advisory council on the misuse of drugs calls for the restriction of two substances which it says are being imported into Britain in increasing amounts from America, where they are illegal.

Known as GBL and 1,4-B, they are sold legally in this country as industrial solvents and cleaners, but when ingested have a similar effect to the known date rape drug GHB, banned here in 2003. The advisory council says low doses are associated with increased libido, euphoria, suggestibility, passivity, and amnesia – rendering victims vulnerable to non-consensual sexual activity.

Sir Michael Rawlins, its chairman, said drug-facilitated sexual assault was a particularly severe offence which wrecked people’s lives: “It is a significant but under-reported problem. Most drugs used in drug-facilitated sexual assault are already controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act, but we are concerned that two drugs are not currently controlled and will consider whether they should be classified. We will advise the Home Office by the end of the year.”

It is believed that Home Office ministers will act on any recommendation to impose a ban. Professor Rawlins said the problem had become so severe that young people should now be officially advised to avoid going alone to clubs, pubs or parties. The experts also want clubbers to be warned not to leave their drinks unattended, even to the point of keeping hold of them when they go to the toilet, to avoid the drink being “spiked”.

The council also urges ministers to re-examine at the law on drug-facilitated sexual assaults to take in “opportunistic” attacks as well as those pre-planned.

The belief that reporting rates for such attacks are lower than the already poor reporting rates by victims of serious sexual assault generally undermines studies last year which concluded the media had overblown “date rape drugs”.

The Forensic Science Service found that 46% of 1,014 alleged drug-facilitated sexual assaults between 2000 and 2002 were actually down to alcohol. Illicit drugs were detected in 34% of cases, mostly cannabis or cocaine. GHB, banned in 2003, was used in only two cases in the sample. A Home Office police study found similar results.

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that, even if victims do report the attack, they may leave it longer than the 12 hours during which drugs such as GHB can reliably be detected in urine or blood.

The warning comes as it is revealed that government funding for the £62m-a-year young people’s drug and alcohol prevention and treatment programme is being cut by 10%. Martin Barnes, chief executive of the charity DrugScope, said the impact would be disastrous.