GHB Abuse

GHB (gamma hydroxy butyrate) use is a growing problem on college campuses. GHB and its analogs are used for a variety of reasons: Partying. Raves. Date or acquaintance rape.

The use of GHB on college campuses continues to be a growing problem. Accurate information is so scarce about GHB that the majority of college students using it have no knowledge that they are putting their lives in danger. The information on most web sites is so misleading regarding GHB that some college students actually believe the myth that GHB is a safe supplement. Many male students are attracted to its use for its reputed reputation as a muscle enhancer, while other students may find themselves using it as a sleep aid, especially in noisy dorms.

The use of GHB for its euphoric effects continues to rise on many campuses. GHB can easily be concealed in a college dorm room so its use can go unknown, unlike the use of alcohol. Many universities and colleges have had so many problems with the use of GHB on their campuses, that they are now faced with educating their students on this dangerous and deadly drug.

In September of 1999, Glamour Magazine did a survey of over 200 female students at more than 20 colleges and universities. The survey revealed that 19% of those asked know someone who has been a victim of GHB.

Q) What are "Club Drugs" and is GHB one of them?

A) For several years, NIDA monitoring systems have registered a nationwide pattern of drug use centered on all-night party and "rave" dance clubs and bars. The drugs reported in these scenes are extremely diverse and vary among locales. Overall, they include drugs that have long been abused, such as marijuana and cocaine, and drugs whose abuse is a more recent development, such as methamphetamine, ecstasy, gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), and ketamine. Some are stimulants, some depressants, and some hallucinogens. Some are prescription drugs that are made in licensed factories using strict quality control, but illegally diverted for abuse. Others have no legitimate medical uses and are produced clandestinely.
Because of this diversity, "club drugs" is an ambiguous and flexible term. However, it clearly applies to methamphetamine, ecstasy, GHB, and Rohypnol, which have become widespread in the 1990s in tandem with contemporary club culture.

The novelty of many club drugs is undoubtedly one reason for the recent surge in their use. Because these drugs are relatively new, some vulnerable individuals may imagine that taking them is safe-that their reported adverse effects are rare or exaggerated, and that such reactions could never affect them personally. In contrast, few can harbor such misperceptions about older drugs. Cocaine, for example, was widely used in dance clubs and elsewhere in the 1980s, but its use has receded as its health and social costs have become well known.

Scientists still have much to learn about club drugs. However, they have already shown that these substances can cause serious and perhaps permanent impairments and sometimes death.

An additional challenge to scientists-and peril to users-is the fact that club drugs are often taken in combination or with other intoxicants. GHB, for example, is frequently consumed with alcohol, which is also a depressant. A significant percentage of those who have died with GHB have also had alcohol in their blood. In Seattle and Miami, ecstasy is sometimes taken mixed with LSD, psilocybin, or heroin. It is very likely that such combinations will affect the body and brain in ways that are more deleterious than either drug alone.