Alcohol and other drugs can:
Alcohol and other drugs are not the cause of sexual violence; aggression and power are at the root of it. However, alcohol and other drugs increase your vulnerability for sexual violence to occur because of the reasons listed above. Healthy sexual activity is based on clear, conscious verbal and nonverbal communication in which both parties assume sex will not take place until consent is given. Alcohol and other drugs cloud the ability of both parties to provide this form of communication. In many states, laws require that someone must be sober in order to give true consent. Also, being drunk or high is never a justification for sexual violence.
During unhealthy sexual activity, a person assumes "I have access to sex until my partner says no or pushes me away." Alcohol and other drugs can impede your ability to say no or physically resist and may result in unwanted sexual activity. During illegal sex, a person assumes "I have access to sex no matter what." Alcohol and other drugs are often used to avoid the possibility that an individual will resist sex, therefore making access to sex easy.
Alcohol is the most common substance used in sexual assault. However, certain drugs like Rohypnol, GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate), and Ketamine are sometimes mixed in drinks (alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages) and given to an individual without her/his knowledge. Most of these substances are tasteless, colorless, and odorless. They generate extreme drowsiness, sudden fatigue, confusion, and, in the case of Rohypnol, memory loss. Someone under the influence of alcohol or other drugs is at increased risk for sexual assault because of her/his inability to fight back.
