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It’s colorless and odorless but has a salty taste that is often masked by
mixing it with fruit punches. Sleep is induced within 15 minutes of its
ingestion and 4 grams of the drug can induce coma. The drug is gamma-hydroxybutyrate
(GHB), a club drug that has become increasingly popular among people ages 25 and
under.
GHB and other club drugs, including Ecstasy, Rohypnol, and an anesthetic
called Ketamine are common at all-night dance parties called "raves"
or "trances," typically held in warehouses, as well as dance clubs and
bars. Many teens and young adults are attracted to these drugs by their low cost
and promises of increased stamina, intoxicating highs and sexual enhancement.
Although many users believe these substances are harmless, they can produce a
range of effects including hallucinations, paranoia, amnesia and, in some cases,
death. Some of these drugs have been associated with sexual assaults, and for
that reason they are known as "date-rape drugs." Because of concern
about their abuse, Congress passed the Drug-Induced Rape Prevention and
Punishment Act of 1996, which increased Federal penalties for use of any
controlled substance to aid in sexual assault.
When combined with alcohol, club drugs can be even more harmful, explains
Cleveland Clinic pediatrician Karen Vargo, M.D., who specializes in adolescent
medicine. Some club drugs work on the same brain mechanisms as alcohol and can
boost the effects of both substances. To make matters worse, there are
significant differences in how people react to these substances. People have
been known to have extreme or even fatal reactions the first time they use club
drugs, suggesting that club drugs found at parties may have been adulterated.
"High school and college-aged women should keep their hand over the top
of their drink at all times; they should avoid drinking beverages they did not
open or those mixed in a punchbowl," says Ellen S. Rome, M.D., M.P.H., who
also specializes in adolescent medicine at The Cleveland Clinic. They should
also avoid sharing or exchanging drinks, she cautions.
What you need to know about club drugs*
Ecstasy, also known as "X," "Adam," and "love
drug," can cause confusion, depression, sleep problems, severe anxiety and
paranoia. Physical problems include muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching,
nausea, blurred vision, faintness, chills or sweating, and increases in heart
rate and blood pressure. Research has found long-term damage to those parts of
the brain critical to thought, memory and pleasure.
GHB, also called "G," "Liquid Ecstasy," and
"Georgia Home Boy," was available over the counter until 1992. It is
used for its euphoric, sedative and body-building effects. Coma and seizures can
occur when GHB is combined with methamphetamines; when combined with alcohol,
nausea and difficulty in breathing can result.
Rohypnol, also known as "Roofie," or "Roche," is
tasteless and odorless. When mixed with alcohol, the drug can incapacitate
victims and prevent them resisting sexual assault. The drug also produces
anterograde amnesia, which means individuals may not remember events they
experienced while under the effects of the drug. Although use of this drug is on
the decline, abuse of two similar drugs, Klonopin and Xanax seem to be replacing
it.
Ketamine, called "Special K," or "vitamin K," is an
anesthetic approved for human and animal use in medical settings. About 90
percent of the ketamine legally sold is intended for veterinary use. Certain
doses can cause dream-like states and hallucinations. It has become common in
club and rave scenes and has been used as a date rape drug. At high doses, it
can cause delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function, high blood pressure,
depression and potentially fatal respiratory problems.
Methamphetamine, called "Speed," "Ice,"
"Chalk," and "Meth," is often made in home laboratories. It
can cause serious health concerns, including memory loss, aggression, violence,
psychosis and heart problems.
Lysergic-Acid Diethylamide (LSD) or "Acid,"may cause
unpredictable behavior depending on where the drug is used and on the user’s
personality. It may cause weakness, nausea, increased heart rate, sweating, and
lack of appetite or flashbacks.
*Information from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National
Institutes of Health
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