The manufacturer has stated the drug is used in surgery where the patient is conscious and there is a need for the patient to be cooperative. Rohypnol has no pain-relieving qualities. Several law enforcement rape investigations in California have involved allegations of Rohypnol being ingested by the victims. Since retrograde amnesia is an effect of the drug, recall of the crime is limited and therefore hard to prove. It also is difficult to produce any suspects.
Some victims also report lucid recall of some events for brief periods of time.
Sexual assault victims report that they have been physically unable to resist attack or escape. It is odorless and colorless. Commonly mixed with soft drinks or water, it has a bitter, salty aftertaste. A central nervous system depressant, it was formerly used in some European countries as an intravenous anesthetic and for treatment of narcolepsy. This substance was also researched in the United States as a potential treatment for alcoholism.