People who use it often pass out or become so dazed that they cannot remember or control what is going on around them. To other people, the victim will appear to be heavily intoxicated. Assailants often will rape or sexually assault victims once they have become affected by the drug since the dazed or unconscious victims will not be able to put up a fight. Victims may wake up in an unfamiliar or dangerous situation after the drug loses its effect. Taken often enough, roofies can be both physically and psychologically addictive, with severe withdrawal symptoms.
Roofies can be fatal, especially when mixed with heroin.
A slang term for being affected by the drug is being roached out. Never accept an open drink from someone you don't know well. Keep your drink near you at a bar or club to prevent someone from slipping a drug into it. While roofies is odorless, it may have a bitter taste when dissolved in alcohol. The drug may also form small chunky pieces in a drink.