Bethany Ramsey

Life. Society. and Drugs 004

9-29-14

GHB is a club drug commonly used among teens at parties. It was initially used
for the treatment of Narcolepsya sleep disorder ("DrugFacts: Club Drugs (GHB.
Ketamine. and Rohypnol) | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)"). The
neurotransmitter it deals with occurs naturally in the brain, but in much larger quantities
than it does when GHB is abused. Its available in odorless, colorless, and tasteless forms
that are usually combined with alcohol. ("DrugFacts: Club Drugs (GHB. Ketamine. and
Rohypnol) | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). This drug is commonly used to
perform date rape because it sedates and incapacitates the victim. Its usually in liquid or
powder form, not in a pill form. It can also be used like a steroid because it makes your
body build more protein more quickly, so it is often abused in that way ("DrugFacts:
Club Drugs (GHB. Ketamine. and Rohypnol) | National Institute on Drug Abuse
(NIDA). It affects GABA receptors and the GHB binding site, which can result in sleep,
coma, or even death. If a person is going through withdrawal they experience insomnia,
anxiety, tremors, and sweating. Many clinicians are unfamiliar with this drug so it often
goes undetected ("DrugFacts: Club Drugs (GHB. Ketamine. and Rohypnol) | National
Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). This drug is becoming more common, and it is very
dangerous because of it is available in undetectable forms.

Many people dont know a lot about this drug, so it is commonly misused. Two
men (ages 19 and 23) took GHB before a workout because they thought it would help
their workout (Men Hospitalized for Ingesting GHB Drug - Los Angeles Times). They
believed it had amino acids in it--which are building blocks of proteinsso they thought
it would make them stronger faster. They reported feeling dizzy and the paramedics were
called. They admitted that they took it with the intention to enhance their workout. It
proved to do the opposite. The drug is typically home-made and illegal (Men
Hospitalized for Ingesting GHB Drug - Los Angeles Times).
Some people even try to make the drug at home and then either use it or sell it, or
both. A 25-year-old man was arrested for making GHB in a lab in his home. It was a half
gallon batch that officers discovered when they searched with a warrant for suspicions of
marijuana possession. They found 7 grams of marijuana (worth about $100) and the
chemicals to make GHB under his bed (along with the batch) (Man Suspected of Making
GHB Drug - Los Angeles Times).
GHB is a very dangerous druglike many others if you take too much it will kill
you. A young motherage 19died in her sleep after taking GHB. She had been
advised to drink a little bit to help her go to bed, but she and her husband kept on
increasing the dosage when they felt it was not working. She was the mother of her
daughter and was discovered in her bed when two nursery staff had come to her house for
an appointment (Shaunie Liddle, 19, died of GHB overdose after taking date rape drug to
sleep | Daily Mail Online). In the beginning, the police suspected foul play because of

marks on her body, but that theory was shut down after closer examination. People who
use this drug first experience a fast, initial high and then become very drowsy (Shaunie
Liddle, 19, died of GHB overdose after taking date rape drug to sleep | Daily Mail
Online). Her boyfriend took the drug as well but has since recovered.
Another death from overdoes this drug occurred in California by a 14-year-old
girl. Authorities arent sure how she got the drug, but a bottle of vodka was also found at
the house. Investigators are unsure of whether the drug was ingested intentionally or not.
She was initially believed to have died from alcohol poisoning, resulting in choking on
her own vomit (Takeimi Rao: California teen overdosed on 'date rape' drug GHB at
sleepover party last summer | Daily Mail Online). Her parents thought she may have
ingested cleaning solvent, which can contain GHB (Takeimi Rao: California teen
overdosed on 'date rape' drug GHB at sleepover party last summer | Daily Mail Online).
As evident in these examples. GHB is a very dangerous drug. However, when
used properly, it can be very helpful health benefits. Its technical name is Gamma
hydroxybutyrate, and it is actually naturally occurring in the human body but can be
made in a lab as well (gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb): Uses, Side Effects, Interactions
and Warnings WebMD). It used to be readily available to the public as a dietary
supplement, but was taken off of the market in 1990 because it was thought to be unsafe.
(gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb): Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings
WebMD). Despite taking it off the market, people still sold it anyway, especially on the

internet. People were very interested in it because of its reputation of being a date rape
drug so it grew increasingly popular. In 2000 there was a Date Rape Drug Prohibition
Act which made it even harder to get a hold of. It was put on the Schedule I drug list
(where heroin is) which in itself proves it is a very dangerous drug (Gammahydroxybutyrate (ghb): Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings WebMD).
Because of this it is currently illegal to possess, sell, and use this drug unless it is for
medical use. The only legal access is through prescription. When prescribed, it is used
for weight loss, muscle building (like those two men who died from it thought), and some
symptoms for fibromyalgia (i.e. pain, tiredness, and insomnia) (Gamma-hydroxybutyrate
(ghb): Uses. Side Effects. Interactions and Warnings WebMD). It is very good at
promoting sleepiness--which is why it is commonly used as a date rape drugbut it is
also used to treat narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a disorder where the brain is unable to follow
the cycles of sleep (Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb): Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and
Warnings WebMD). The people who suffer from it do not have regular sleeping
schedules which makes it hard to function in society. Often-times these people are also
unable to control their muscles and start to see things that arent really therenamely
hallucinations (Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb): Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and
Warnings WebMD). In health care it can be used to numb pain, especially in head
injuries (Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb): Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings
WebMD).

As previously stated, GHB is a date rape drug. This means it is used to aid in
sexual assault. The effects the victim experiences are drowsiness, dizziness, slowed heart
rate, nausea, loss of consciousness, memory loss, coma, and sometimes even death
(Facts about Date-Rape Drugs). It has so many names on the street it is hard to keep
track of them all. Some of them include (but are not limited to) Blue nitro, Cherry meth,
Firewater, Georgia homeboy, Great hormones at bedtime, Grievous bodily harm, Griffick, Growth hormone booster, Liquid ecstasy, Liquid E. Liquid X, Poor man's heroin,
and Wolfies (Club Drug Use | Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) -- FamilyDoctor.org).
Advice given to be safe from this drug is to not accept any drinks from someone you
dont know and to never leave your drink unattended.
GHB is a very dangerous drug and can result in death. Even though it does have
some very helpful medical uses, the most common uses are very far from helpful. Many
people have died using this drug because they were unaware of its abilities, or even
unaware of its presence because of its odorless, tasteless form. It is very common among
teens and young adults, especially at parties. If going to a party, one should always
monitor their drink and make sure nothing is slipped into it, and be wary of ingesting
anything from someone who is not trusted. There is a reason it is a Schedule I drug along
with heroin, and that is simply that it is very powerful and should only be used for
medical uses.

Bibliography
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Abuse (NIDA). (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/club-drugs-ghb-ketaminerohypnol
Facts about Date-Rape Drugs. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/womenshealth/factsheets/date.htm
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb): Uses. Side Effects. Interactions and Warnings WebMD. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/vitaminssupplements/ingredientmono-950-gammahydroxybutyrate%20(ghb).aspx?activeingredientid=950&activeingredientname=g
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Man Suspected of Making GHB Drug - Los Angeles Times. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://articles.latimes.com/1999/jul/24/local/me-59053
Men Hospitalized for Ingesting GHB Drug - Los Angeles Times. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://articles.latimes.com/1997/nov/25/local/me-57663
Shaunie Liddle. 19. died of GHB overdose after taking date rape drug to sleep | Daily
Mail Online. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article2426600/Shaunie-Liddle-19-died-GHB-overdose-taking-date-rape-drugsleep.html

Takeimi Rao: California teen overdosed on 'date rape' drug GHB at sleepover party last
summer | Daily Mail Online. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2095608/Takeimi-Rao-California-teenoverdosed-date-rape-drug-GHB-sleepover-party-summer.html