AKA:

GHB, GBH, Liquid Ecstasy

SOURCE:

Mainly illegally produced in Britain or mainland Europe; sometimes sold in Sex Shops or in street/club settings.

APPEARANCE:

GHB is a white crystalline powder, the chemical salt resulting from the mixing of gamma butyrolactone with caustic soda. The powder is rarely sold on at a street or club level. Instead the salt is mixed with water to produce a clear liquid sold in small plastic bottles.

COST:

Between £10-15 a bottle.

QUALITY:

Highly variable; as GHB is illegally manufactured strength can vary widely from brand to brand and batch to batch.

METHODS OF USE:

Swallowed, usually taking a small capful.

EFFECTS:

Effects vary greatly according to users and the dose taken. At low doses, the effects are similar to alcohol, making users feel relaxed, chatty, flirtatious and slightly dizzy. With higher doses, users may feel happier, more tactile, but also more drowsy. With still higher doses, users are more likely to feel dizzy, nauseous and risk seizures or blacking out.

HEALTH IMPLICATIONS:

There have been fatalities related to the use of GHB but usually where alcohol has been consumed as well. Users run the risk of becoming unconscious; breathing may stop or be prevented by aspirating vomit. Users may enter a coma-like state for several hours.

LEGAL STATUS:

GHB was added to the list of controlled drugs in July 2003. It is a Class C Schedule 4.i drug, making it illegal to produce, possess or supply unless authorised to do so. At present it is an arrestable offence to supply GHB but not an arrestable offence to possess it. This situation will change when the reclassification of cannabis and related legislation have been completed at which time penalties for supply will increase and possession will be an arrestable offence.

OTHER INFORMATION:

With related chemicals having legitimate uses as a surgical premed, GHB has, over the past few years made steady in-roads into the recreational drug scene. Some of this use was related to bodybuilding but the main area of use is in the club/dance scene. As with other "new" drugs (i.e. drugs new to the media) there is intense interest in GHB; calls are made for it to be rescheduled as a controlled drug.