ABSTRACT
The use of a drug to modify a person’s behavior for criminal gain is not a recent phenomenon. However, the sudden increase in reports of drug-facilitated crimes (sexual assaults, robbery, etc.) has caused alarm in the general public. The drugs involved can be pharmaceuticals, such as benzodiazepines (flunitrazepam, lorazepam, etc.), hypnotics (zopiclone, zolpidem), sedatives (neuroleptics, some histamine H1-antagonists), anesthetics (gamma hydroxybutyrate [GHB], ketamine), drugs of abuse (cannabis, methadone, ecstasy, LSD), or, more often, ethanol. Most of these substances possess amnesic properties, and therefore the victims are less able to accurately recall the circumstances under which the offense occurred. As
they are generally short acting, they impair an individual rapidly. Due to their low dosage, excepted for GHB, a surreptitious administration into beverages such as coffee, soft drinks (cola), or, even better, alcoholic cocktails is relatively simple (1).
