Signs of being roofied on a date, and what to do next

You're on a first date with someone from a dating app, and after one drink you feel far drunker than you should. Most matches are who they say they are, and alcohol, not a hidden drug, is the substance used most often in these assaults. If something feels wrong, act now and sort out the details later.

Short answer: The main signs of being roofied are feeling far more drunk than what you drank explains, sudden dizziness or confusion, trouble talking or moving, nausea, trouble breathing and gaps in memory, according to the HHS Office on Women's Health and RAINN. Get to a safe place with a friend you trust, and have them take you to the ER. Call 911 if anyone has trouble breathing or staying awake. At the ER, say you may have been drugged and ask for a urine test. Some drugs leave the body within hours, so go now.

"Roofies" is one of the street names the DEA lists for Rohypnol, a drug it says is usually slipped into an unsuspecting victim's alcoholic drink. In the UK, the NHS calls this spiking: "Spiking is when alcohol or drugs have been put in your drink without your permission." US advice from Women's Health uses "spiked" the same way.

Signs of being roofied

These drink spiking symptoms come from three lists: the HHS Office on Women's Health page on date rape drugs (updated February 22, 2021), RAINN's guide to drug-facilitated sexual assault (updated May 31, 2026) and the Society of Forensic Toxicologists' fact sheet. You may have been drugged if you notice any of these:

1. You feel far more drunk than what you drank explains, or drunk after little or no alcohol.
2. Sudden dizziness or blurred vision.
3. Slurred speech or trouble talking.
4. Trouble moving or controlling your muscles.
5. Nausea or vomiting.
6. Confusion, or gaps in your memory.
7. A very slow or very fast heartbeat.
8. Trouble breathing.
9. Big changes in body temperature.
10. Losing control of bodily functions.
11. Sleepiness, or passing out.

Women's Health says these drugs "can affect you very quickly, and you might not know that something is wrong." GHB takes effect in 15 to 30 minutes and lasts 3 to 6 hours, according to the DEA's fact sheet on GHB (2024 edition). The DEA's ketamine fact sheet (2024 edition) says its effects often start within a few minutes, a little more slowly if it's swallowed. Neither the DEA nor Women's Health gives an onset time for Rohypnol.

Some signs only show up the next morning. Women's Health lists remembering a drink but nothing after it, clothes that are on wrong, torn or stained, and unexpected bruises, bleeding, pain, scrapes or cuts after a date or a party.

What to do in the next hours

Work down this list in order, and skip anything you can't do.

1. Tell someone you trust, right now. RAINN's advice is to get to a safe place and seek help immediately.
2. Have someone you trust take you to a safe place or the ER. Women's Health says to "have a trusted friend take you to a hospital emergency room."
3. Call 911 if anyone has trouble breathing, can't stay awake or passes out. Women's Health says to call 911 or go to an emergency room if you think someone drugged you or a friend.
4. Go to the ER and say you may have been drugged. Women's Health says to tell the doctor or nurse so "they can test for the right drugs," and to ask for a urine sample. The DOJ's national exam protocol lists a patient saying they may have been drugged as a reason to test.
5. If you can't wait to pee, save it. RAINN says to use a clean, sealable container and refrigerate or freeze it. The DOJ protocol says the first available urine sample is the one to collect.
6. Try not to shower, change clothes, eat or drink first. If you already have, go anyway. The DOJ protocol says samples should be collected whatever you did after the assault, and that no one should be made ill to keep evidence. Bring a clean change of clothes.
7. Ask about a forensic exam. Under federal rules tied to Violence Against Women Act funding, the exam should cost you nothing, and you don't have to report to the police to get one. More on that below.
8. For support, call RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673, text HOPE to 64673 or chat at hotline.rainn.org/online. RAINN says the hotline is free, confidential and open 24/7, in English and Spanish.

Whatever happened, it isn't your fault. RAINN says "Choosing to drink or use drugs does not mean you are choosing to be assaulted." Women's Health says the same: "Even if you wanted to drink alcohol or take drugs at the time, sexual assault is never your fault."

Roofied or just drunk?

If you're wondering how to tell if you've been roofied or are just drunk, the clearest sign is a mismatch. Women's Health says date rape drugs can make the effects of drinking feel "much stronger than usual or more than you expect based on how much you drank," and can make you feel drunk without any alcohol at all.

Whether you were drugged or just drunk matters less for what to do next. Alcohol is the drug used most often, according to Women's Health, RAINN and the DOJ protocol (September 2024). RAINN describes two routes: someone gives a person drugs or alcohol without their knowledge, or someone takes advantage of a person who chose to drink. Both are drug-facilitated sexual assault. If you feel unsafe, act as if you were drugged.

You can't settle it with a test at home, and a hospital test has limits too. The DEA says routine toxicology screens don't detect GBL and 1,4-butanediol, two GHB analogs sold as solvents. A 2006 study of GHB in urine notes that even broad toxicology testing is "frequently negative" for drugs the body clears fast, such as GHB. A negative result doesn't prove nothing happened.

How to tell if your drink has been spiked

Often you can't. Women's Health says "Often date rape drugs have no color, no smell, and no taste when added to a drink or food." A drug may change the color of a clear drink or make it look cloudy, "But changes can be hard to see if the drink is dark (such as cola or beer) or if the room is dark."

A few drug-specific details, from the DEA's fact sheets (2024 edition):

• Liquid GHB is clear and colorless with a slightly salty taste.
• Since 1997, Rohypnol tablets have been made to dye light-colored drinks blue. Generic versions may not contain the dye.

So a blue tint in a light drink is a warning sign, and no tint proves nothing. Women's Health says not to drink anything that smells strange, and to stop drinking anything that tastes strange. Tinder's own safety tips say the same thing plainly: "Many substances that are slipped into drinks to facilitate sexual assault are odorless, colorless, and tasteless." Your body is a better signal than your glass.

Drink spiking tests: do strips and coasters work?

The evidence is weak. Two evaluations found these tests missed many spiked drinks. A 2025 lab study found newer GHB tests more sensitive, but they test for GHB only.

• Coasters, 2023. Quebec's government forensic laboratory tested drug-detection coasters in wine, beer, cocktails and spirits. At 150% of the coasters' own detection limit, they caught 0% of ketamine-spiked drinks and between 31% and 69% of drinks spiked with GHB. The authors called them "an inadequate tool".
• A field test, 2007. When people used a GHB and ketamine test in real settings, it caught 50% of spiked drinks, across 101 paired results. The authors said a false negative for a spiked drink "is cause for concern."
• GHB strips, 2025. A UCSF lab study found two first-generation products missed GHB at 16 mg/mL, and that whiskey, beer and red wine made some tests hard to read. Newer enzyme-based tests did better, turning positive at 0.5 mg/mL. Two of the six authors list ties to test makers.

None of these tests checks for alcohol, the most common drug in these cases, and none of the studies tested Rohypnol. A negative test doesn't mean a drink is safe.

How long drugs stay detectable

Sources disagree, because it depends on the drug, the amount, your body and how often you've urinated since.

In the two GHB studies, volunteers took a single dose, and GHB was gone from their urine within about 12 hours. So go now. Don't wait until morning.

If you think you were assaulted: the forensic exam

A sexual assault medical forensic exam is done by a clinician, ideally one with specialist training. Many communities use a more specific title, such as sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE). Per the DOJ's national protocol (third edition, September 2024), it includes your history, a full exam, treatment for injuries, evidence collection, and information and treatment to prevent STIs and pregnancy. Toxicology samples often go in a separate kit.

Federal law ties the exam's cost to Violence Against Women Act funding. Under 34 U.S.C. 10449, a state, tribal or local government isn't entitled to these grant funds unless it, or another government body, covers the full out-of-pocket cost of forensic exams by providing or arranging them free of charge. It must do so "without regard to whether the victim participates in the criminal justice system or cooperates with law enforcement." The DOJ protocol says that cost can include a facility fee, a copay or a deductible. It also says:

• Your exam and treatment shouldn't depend on agreeing to toxicology testing.
• You shouldn't pay for toxicology testing done as part of the evidence collection.
• Even where health workers must make a report, "the patient is not obligated to talk with law enforcement."
• Samples should be collected even if you haven't decided about reporting.

Some places don't keep an unreported kit forever, so ask the hospital how long they hold yours. This is general information and not legal advice. Rules on kit storage and health-worker reporting depend on your state.

In the days after, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential and open 24/7 by call, text or chat, including for emotional distress.

Is drugging someone a crime?

Yes. Under federal law, 21 U.S.C. 841(b)(7), giving someone a controlled substance without their knowledge, with intent to commit a crime of violence including rape, carries up to 20 years in prison and a fine. That federal rule is about controlled substances such as Rohypnol and GHB. Congress added the rule in the Drug-Induced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act, which became law on October 13, 1996.

The drugs themselves are tightly controlled, according to the DEA's fact sheets (2024 edition). Rohypnol is a Schedule IV substance and has never been approved for medical use in the United States. GHB is a Schedule I controlled substance, while FDA-approved GHB products are Schedule III.

State laws on drugging and sexual assault differ from state to state. This is general information, not legal advice.

How common is drink spiking in the US?

No official source we read gives a national rate for covert drink spiking. What exists measures something wider.

About 1 in 8 US women (12.2%) say that at some point in their lives someone raped them while they were too drunk, high, drugged or passed out to consent, according to the CDC's National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 2016/2017 report (published June 2022). For women, the figure for the 12 months before the survey was 1.1%. Among US men, 1.9% reported the same in their lifetime and 7.9% said they were made to penetrate someone in that state. These numbers include people who chose to drink, so they aren't a count of spiked drinks.

In a 2016 study of 6,064 students at three universities, 7.8% said they had been drugged, according to the American Psychological Association's summary, though the authors couldn't confirm the druggings.

On dating, the CDC's survey has one relevant category. It counts a "brief encounter," which includes someone met at a party, on a blind date or online, and 9.6% of women who had been raped named one. That figure covers all rape, with or without drugs, and it doesn't single out dating apps.

First-date habits that help

Most of this is ordinary first-date planning, which our guide to how to stay safe on a first date covers step by step. For drinks specifically, Women's Health says to go with the person who offers to buy you one, "Watch your drink as it is poured and carry it yourself," and not to drink more than you want because someone else wants you to. Tinder's safety tips say to accept drinks only when the bartender or server pours or serves them directly. Before you meet, it helps to know the online dating red flags and the signs a dating profile is fake. The apps' own advice is in our guides to Tinder and Hinge.

None of these habits moves the blame. If someone drugs you, the responsibility lies with them, whatever you drank and however careful you were.

A step before your next date

TrulyWho checks a match's public accounts, photos and work from an email or phone in about a minute. It's a step before you meet, and it doesn't replace any of the safety steps above.

FAQ

What are the first signs of being spiked?

A key sign, according to the HHS Office on Women's Health and RAINN, is feeling far more drunk than what you drank explains, or drunk after little or no alcohol. Other signs they list include sudden dizziness, blurred vision, confusion, slurred speech and nausea. If you notice these, get to a safe place with someone you trust and get medical help.

How can you tell if a drink is spiked?

Often you can't. Women's Health says date rape drugs often have no color, smell or taste. A clear drink may look cloudy or change color, and since 1997 Rohypnol tablets have been made to turn light drinks blue, per the DEA, though generic versions may not. Your body is the better signal: stop drinking if you feel far drunker than you should.

How does a drugged person behave?

They may seem out of it or far too drunk for what they drank. They may slur their words, have trouble moving or controlling their muscles, seem confused, vomit, fall asleep or pass out, according to Women's Health and the Society of Forensic Toxicologists. Get them to a safe place and stay with them. Call 911 if they have trouble breathing or can't stay awake.

How long does a roofie stay in your system?

It depends on the drug and the dose. RAINN says these substances often leave the body within 12 to 72 hours. The DOJ's 2024 national protocol says urine can be collected up to 120 hours after, and that most drugs are undetectable in blood after 24 hours. In two small studies, GHB was gone from urine in about 12 hours. Go to the ER now.

Is spiking someone's drink a crime?

Drugging someone to commit a crime of violence is a federal crime. Under 21 U.S.C. 841(b)(7), giving someone a controlled substance without their knowledge with intent to commit a crime of violence, including rape, carries up to 20 years in prison. State laws also apply and differ from state to state. This is general information and not legal advice.

Can you press charges if someone drugged you?

You can report it to the police. A forensic exam lets the hospital collect evidence even if you haven't decided yet, and under federal rules tied to Violence Against Women Act funding, the exam should be free whether or not you report. Ask how long they keep an unreported kit. This is general information and not legal advice.

Do drink spiking test strips work?

Not reliably. A 2023 study by Quebec's government forensic laboratory found drug-detection coasters caught 0% of ketamine-spiked drinks and between 31% and 69% of drinks spiked with GHB. A 2025 lab study found newer enzyme-based GHB tests more sensitive, but they test for GHB only. None of these studies tested alcohol or Rohypnol. A negative test doesn't mean a drink is safe.