[Unusual case of the criminal administration of ranitidine].

Psychoactive substances (alcohol, narcotics and drugs) are used for facilitation of various crimes, mostly sexual assaults ("rape pills", "date-rape drugs") and/or robbery. The most popular drugs used for criminal purposes are: benzodiazepines, antipsychotic, hypotensive and anesthetic agents. Sometimes, however, other types of drugs are employed. The authors present an unusual, first in the literature, attempt at the criminal use of ranitidine--a popular antisecretive drug (H2-blocker)--as a "date-rape drug". The present paper discusses problems of scientific information flow to the criminal world, easy accessibility of psychoactive agents and difficulties in medico-legal opinion and penal qualification in such cases.