One night last year Josh, an Ohio State senior, was so intoxicated that he crashed down a flight of steps and left a three-foot hole in a wall.Alcohol, however, wasn’t to blame. Josh was under the influence of Rohypnol, commonly known as “Roofies.””I took three Roofies and one beer that night. I was so out of it that I barely remember a thing,” he said.Rohypnol, dubbed the “date-rape drug,” is an addictive sedative 10 times more potent than Valium and can result in temporary amnesia that lasts about eight hours. It enhances the effects of alcohol‹a combination which can be fatal, according to Drugdex, a computer-based pharmacy information program.The colorless, odorless and tasteless drug is illegal in the United States, but is used in 80 countries to treat severe sleep disorders and as a sedative for surgery, said Gail Safian, a representative for Hoffmann-La Roche, the manufacturer of Rohypnol. Contrary to belief, Safian said, the drug is being abused more commonly in the United States as a recreational drug and less frequently as a date-rape drug. “Assaults are certainly happening,” she said, “but the actual act of slipping the drug into someone’s drink doesn’t happen very often. Recreational use is much more common.” So far one sexual assault case involving Rohypnol has been confirmed at OSU, said Michael Scarce, director of the Rape Education and Prevention Program. Laura Campise, coordinator of the Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Program at the OSU Medical Center, said there have been many suspected cases in the past few months. “We started hearing anecdotal reports of (Rohypnol) use from students about a year ago,” Scarce said. One OSU junior majoring in communications, who prefers to be called “C,” said he started using “Roofies” recreationally about three years ago in a fraternity.”I’d take one pill, a shot or two and a beer or two, and I’d feel like I’m drunk. It’s better than alcohol alone, because you don’t have to drink as much, you don’t get sick and you don’t have to go to the bathroom as much,” he said. “It’s the best time you’ll never remember.” “C” said the drug sells on the street for $4 to $5 per pill. They are obtained through a network of people in Florida who receive shipments from Mexico, where the drug is legal. “C” said, however, that there has been a recent decline in usage because it has been harder to obtain. Rohypnol is listed as a schedule IV drug. Possession of more than 3,250 milligrams of Rohypnol is a second-degree felony and can result in two to eight years in prison and a $7,500 to $15,000 fine. If the drug is sold within 1,000 feet of a school, the trafficking sentence can be raised to a first-degree felony.