Pubdate: Wed, 28 Mar 2007
Source: National Post (Canada)
Copyright: 2007 Southam Inc.
Contact:  http://www.nationalpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286
Author: Gerry Bellett, CanWest News Service
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?158 (Club Drugs)

'DATE-RAPE' DRUG SPREADS AMONG YOUTH

B.C. Teenager Died: Police Say GHB Being Used As Alcohol Substitute

VANCOUVER - RCMP drug expert Sergeant Scott Rintoul said he can no 
longer visit parts of British Columbia and find that no one has heard 
of GHB -- the "date-rape drug."

"I know use of GHB is increasing because when I travel the province 
and go to areas where they'd never heard of GHB I now find our 
members seizing it," said Sgt. Rintoul.

It is a drug rapidly gaining in popularity among young adults and 
while its date rape potential has been well publicized, Sgt. Rintoul 
said many more people are using it to mimic the effects of alcohol.

"It gets the rap as the date rape drug but it's more widely used as 
an alcohol substitute. It acts on the body the same way alcohol does. 
It lowers inhibitions and you become intoxicated in much the same way 
as you do using alcohol," said Sgt. Rintoul.

GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) is colourless and odourless, sells on the 
street for $5 to $10 a dose, and a number of people have died 
following an overdose.

Earlier this month University of Victoria student Zoe Read, 22, died 
after taking a swig of what she thought was water from a clear Gatorade bottle.

The student was at a party where cocaine, alcohol and small amounts 
of GHB were being consumed, Victoria police said.

It is precisely that scenario that Sgt. Rintoul says is so dangerous 
to young persons.

"The biggest gap when it comes to dealing with the drug culture is 
the lack of awareness of the dangers. We're not educating people 
enough about the risks.

"There's a relatively large section of the population that are not 
high-risk but are engaging in behaviour that is costing them their lives.

"The girl who died in Victoria is a perfect example. We don't need 
any more victims," he said.

Sgt. Rintoul said GHB has become a favourite drug for those involved 
in the modelling industry and for those who are body conscious. "GHB 
has no calories so it's attractive to persons concerned about their 
body image. I've spoken to male and female models who say it's part 
of their social scene because in their profession slim is in.

"And it's the same for the barstars who live to hang out in clubs and 
are concerned about how they look. They can take GHB and get an 
alcohol high without gaining weight," he said.

But assessing how prevalent the use of GHB is in date rape is 
difficult, said Sgt. Rintoul. "I've spoken to many officers who have 
been involved in sexual assault investigations who believe GHB was 
involved. I'm hearing it from all over the province.

"About 5% of reported sexual assaults involve victims who say they 
were drugged," he said. "But we can't say GHB is the only thing 
because alcohol could have been used or cocaine or heroin.

"The problem with GHB is that it metabolizes so quickly that it can 
be gone within 12 to 24 hours and a lot of victims don't report 
sexual assaults right away.

"If they wait 24 hours or 48 or 72 hours it could be right out of 
their system," he said.

It is a drug that can only be detected by the RCMP forensic 
laboratory or the B.C. Coroner's Service laboratory and would not be 
detected in a hospital laboratory, said Sgt. Rintoul.

Daisy Kler of the Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter said the 
organization has not noticed an increase in reports of rape being 
facilitated by GHB.

"Men have always used alcohol and drugs to rape women.

"We find that when the issue of GHB is in the media we get calls from 
women who are fearful that it might have happened to them," she said.

"But we can't say there's been an increase," she said.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman