02/24/1997 09:00 AM Senate HES

                                                                               
             SB  94 ROHYPNOL AS SCHEDULE IV-A DRUG                            
                                                                              
 Number 001                                                                    
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN WILKEN  called the Senate Health, Education & Social                
 Services Committee (HES) to order at 9:00 a.m. and introduced  SB 94          
 as the first order of business before the committee.                          
                                                                               
  SENATOR ELLIS , Prime Sponsor, explained that SB 94 proposes to add          
 the drug Rohypnol to a Schedule IVA which is the prohibited drug              
 list.  While Rohypnol is an illegal drug under federal law,                   
 Rohypnol is currently legal in Alaska.  Rohypnol, 'the date rape              
 drug', is a growing drug problem across the U.S.  When Rohypnol is            
 placed in a person's alcoholic beverage, the person can be out for            
 between 8 and 24 hours when a sexual assault can occur.  Rohypnol             
 is also being combined with alcohol for a cheap high.  Senator                
 Ellis reported that the first seizure of Rohypnol in Alaska just              
 occurred.  Many believe, as does Senator Ellis, that Rohypnol is              
 more serious than Schedule IV, but the state governments are                  
 waiting to see the results of the federal survey regarding this.              
 There is the option to increase the schedule at a later time.                 
 Schedule IV has a Class C felony, a penalty of one to five years.             
                                                                               
 Number 081                                                                    
                                                                               
  SENATOR WARD  inquired as to the current federal penalties for               
 Rohypnol.   SENATOR ELLIS  said that it is a Class C felony under the         
 federal law, just as is being proposed in SB 94.                              
                                                                               
 In response to Senator Leman,  SENATOR ELLIS  clarified that Schedule         
 I is the most serious and Schedule IV is less serious.  Senator               
 Ellis reiterated that there is a study to determine whether the               
 federal government will move from Schedule IV to the higher                   
 penalties of Schedule I.  With SB 94, Alaska would match federal              
 law with regard to Rohypnol.  Senator Ellis could not recall what             
 drugs were listed on Schedule IIIA.                                           
                                                                               
  GEORGE TAFT , Director of the Alaska Crime Laboratory, noted that            
 the first case in Alaska was about two weeks ago with about 250               
 tablets of Rohypnol as well as heroine and cocaine.  Mr. Taft                 
 informed the committee that one of the uses of Rohypnol was to                
 extend and heighten the high of heroine.  Mr. Taft offered to                 
 answer any questions.                                                         
                                                                               
 Hearing no questions,  CHAIRMAN WILKEN  inquired as to the pleasure           
 of the committee.                                                             
                                                                               
  SENATOR LEMAN  moved to report SB 94 out of committee with                   
 individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal notes.  Without            
 objection, it was so ordered.