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Slipped into a drink, zolpidem or its brand-name version Ambien can render women unconscious, which is what authorities say is how a former NFL star raped four women
In January 2012, Darren Sharper filed a worker's compensation claim in California that described several health problems he suffered during 14 seasons as a player in the NFL. Along with his knee, hamstring, shoulder and hip, he listed "head, sleep."
To help his sleep issues, the former NFL star had a prescription for Ambien, the brand-name version of zolpidem, a sedative used to treat insomnia. Sharper eventually became a frequent user, going through 70 pills in 65 days through mid-January of 2014, a prosecutor in Los Angeles said.
Investigators say he also slipped the drug into women's drinks, rendering them unconscious so he could rape them after a night of partying. On Jan. 17, Sharper had 20 Ambien pills in his possession when Los Angeles police arrested him on suspicion of two rapes there in October and January. Sharper since has been indicted for two more rapes in Arizona and is the subject of investigations in three other states, a stunning turn in the life of a well-known former player who had proudly touted his work at women's advocacy events and was working as an analyst for the NFL Network at the time of his arrest.
Sharper, 38, has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed, pending a hearing April 15. The case against him reveals a collision of two worlds, according to a USA TODAY Sports review of court records, police reports, workers compensation claims and interviews with independent experts and other former players. In one way Sharper is among a growing number of former football players who suffered head injuries on the field and later turned to zolpidem, sometimes to the point of addiction, to help with sleeplessness. Zolpidem is commonplace in the USA, ranking 15th on the list of most-dispensed medications in 2012 with 43.8 million prescriptions, according to IMS Health.
Police say it also is the drug Sharper used to prey on women, with zolpidem known as one of the most effective date-rape drugs since Rohypnol — "roofies" — was outlawed in 1996.
"Ambien has replaced roofies as the rape drug of choice," said Todd Emanuel, a California attorney who has worked on similar rape cases. "It is very easy to secrete in liquid like wine, and it has a short half-life, so it is usually difficult to detect."
Zolpidem generally is not detectable in alleged victims through blood or urine tests more than a day or two after a single exposure, though that can vary depending on the person, the dosage and testing limits, said George Behonick, a toxicologist at the AIT Laboratories in Indiana, whose clients include law enforcement. Hair testing can detect it longer but that will be difficult if there's only been one small dosage, Behonick said.
"It is designed to make people go to sleep and quickly exit the body," Behonick said. "That's the whole idea behind it."
The short testing window, as well as the drug's legality, complicate the criminal cases.
cont at
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...ien-zolpidem-insomnia-date-rape-case/6930621/
In January 2012, Darren Sharper filed a worker's compensation claim in California that described several health problems he suffered during 14 seasons as a player in the NFL. Along with his knee, hamstring, shoulder and hip, he listed "head, sleep."
To help his sleep issues, the former NFL star had a prescription for Ambien, the brand-name version of zolpidem, a sedative used to treat insomnia. Sharper eventually became a frequent user, going through 70 pills in 65 days through mid-January of 2014, a prosecutor in Los Angeles said.
Investigators say he also slipped the drug into women's drinks, rendering them unconscious so he could rape them after a night of partying. On Jan. 17, Sharper had 20 Ambien pills in his possession when Los Angeles police arrested him on suspicion of two rapes there in October and January. Sharper since has been indicted for two more rapes in Arizona and is the subject of investigations in three other states, a stunning turn in the life of a well-known former player who had proudly touted his work at women's advocacy events and was working as an analyst for the NFL Network at the time of his arrest.
Sharper, 38, has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed, pending a hearing April 15. The case against him reveals a collision of two worlds, according to a USA TODAY Sports review of court records, police reports, workers compensation claims and interviews with independent experts and other former players. In one way Sharper is among a growing number of former football players who suffered head injuries on the field and later turned to zolpidem, sometimes to the point of addiction, to help with sleeplessness. Zolpidem is commonplace in the USA, ranking 15th on the list of most-dispensed medications in 2012 with 43.8 million prescriptions, according to IMS Health.
Police say it also is the drug Sharper used to prey on women, with zolpidem known as one of the most effective date-rape drugs since Rohypnol — "roofies" — was outlawed in 1996.
"Ambien has replaced roofies as the rape drug of choice," said Todd Emanuel, a California attorney who has worked on similar rape cases. "It is very easy to secrete in liquid like wine, and it has a short half-life, so it is usually difficult to detect."
Zolpidem generally is not detectable in alleged victims through blood or urine tests more than a day or two after a single exposure, though that can vary depending on the person, the dosage and testing limits, said George Behonick, a toxicologist at the AIT Laboratories in Indiana, whose clients include law enforcement. Hair testing can detect it longer but that will be difficult if there's only been one small dosage, Behonick said.
"It is designed to make people go to sleep and quickly exit the body," Behonick said. "That's the whole idea behind it."
The short testing window, as well as the drug's legality, complicate the criminal cases.
cont at
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...ien-zolpidem-insomnia-date-rape-case/6930621/
