OTTAWA – James Moore, Member of Parliament for Port Moody – Coquitlam – Port Coquitlam, has introduced a Private Members’ Motion calling on the government to take action to fight date rape drugs.

Moore’s motion calls for date rape drugs to be listed in the criminal code as weapons rather than drugs.  Says Moore: “Quite simply, date rape drugs shouldn’t be treated the same way in the criminal code as heroin or cocaine because they are used to victimize other people, involuntarily.  They are used to attack others, not ingested by choice.”

Moore’s motion reads: “That, in the opinion of this House, the government should introduce a comprehensive plan of action to address the issue of drug facilitated sexual assault, which should undertake to (a) to recommend to cabinet that the substances GHB and Rohypnol be identified in the Criminal Code as date-rape-drugs; (b) introduce amendments to the Criminal Code creating a separate Schedule recognizing "date rape drugs" as a weapon; (d) establish, in co-operation with the provinces and territories, a national initiative to educate women on the dangers of date-rape-drugs and related substances; (e) establish, in co-operation with the provinces and territories, a national task forces to establish new guideline in the collection and documentation of evidence in RCMP sexual assault investigations.”

Date rape drugs such as GHB and Roypnol are easily slipped into drinks and food; once ingested they act rapidly, rendering the victim unconscious and unresponsive within minutes.  Victims are often unaware they have even been sexually assaulted or raped, with little or no memory of their attacker.  Worse, all traces of the drug can leave the body within 72 hours of ingestion and are not found in any routine toxicology screen or blood test. 

In the House of Commons, Moore noted: “Not long ago a husband and wife predator team in Prince George used date rape drugs to drug young children to create child pornography.  And last month a 32 year old Quebec woman died after drinking beverages laced with a date rape drug.” 

Concluded Moore: “For too long nothing has been done to combat date rape drugs.  This is why I am tabling in this House my Private Members’ Motion M-458 that calls on the government to list identified date rape drugs as weapons in the criminal code and to create national initiative to educate women on the dangers of date rape drugs.” 

Read James' statement in the House

-30-

  For more information call: James Moore, MP - 604.937.5650