Date rape is a type of crime in which a person who voluntarily enters a social situation is raped by a person in that social situation. Often, the two people are acquainted. The drugs GHB and Ruphynol are commonly used by date rape offenders although it does not take a date rape drug in order for someone to experience date rape. To qualify as date rape, the sexual encounter must be non-consensual.
Date rape is a rape except involving two people voluntarily attending the same social function together. This is why it is called "date" rape. Because date rape involves voluntary attendance at an event or scene, it can be more difficult to prosecute than other types of rape. This is because it is harder to prove that the sex wasn't consensual. Different states have different standards of qualifying date rape. However, both rape and the adding of date rape drugs to people's drinks are serious offenses and carry serious sentences.