Definition of Gamma-OH
< b>Gamma-OH:A European name for gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a colorless
and odorless drug used illicitly for "recreational" purposes and for "date rape."
GBH is a central nervous system depressant. It tends therefore to increase sociability
and function as something of a transient antidepressant.
Some persons who have sustained adverse effects of GHB have reported being given
the drug surreptitiously (e.g., having it slipped into their drink), while others
have admitted to intentional use.
GHB has been marketed as a liquid or powder and has been sold on the street under
numerous names such as "Grievous Bodily Harm," "Georgia Home Boy," "Liquid Ecstasy,"
"Liquid X," "Liquid E," "GHB," "GBH," "Soap," "Scoop," "Easy Lay," "Salty Water,"
"G-Riffick," "Cherry Menth," and "Organic Quaalude."
In February, 2000, federal legislation was passed in U.S. that toughened the
penalties for the distribution and possession of drugs used in date rapes. The principal
drug covered by the law was GHB. A few drops of GHB added to a drink are enough
to make the victim lose consciousness within 15-20 minutes. At the time GHB had
been implicated in more than 5,700 recorded cases of overdose and in at least 57
deaths.
The combination of GHB with alcohol or other CNS depressants is especially deadly.
A teaspoon (5 cc) of GHB mixed with alcohol can render a person unconscious and
drastically depress respiration within 20 minutes of ingesting it. The use of GHB
can also be physically addictive.
In the U.S., GHB has been produced clandestinely in widely varying degrees of
purity. "Liquid" GHB varies in concentration according to preparation. Improper
preparation of GHB can result in a mixture of GHB and sodium hydroxide that can
be severely toxic because of the combined effects of the GHB and the direct caustic
effects of sodium hydroxide.
GHB increases dopamine levels in the brain and has effects through the endogenous
opioid system; most GHB is excreted during the first hours after ingestion.
The features of acute GHB toxicity include coma, seizures, respiratory depression,
and vomiting. Other documented effects of GHB include amnesia and hypotonia (associated
with doses of 10 mg/kg body weight); a normal sequence of rapid eye movement (REM)
and non-REM sleep (doses of 20-30 mg/kg body weight); and anesthesia (doses of approximately
50 mg/kg body weight). Doses of >50 mg/kg body weight can decrease cardiac output
and produce severe respiratory depression, seizure-like activity, and coma.
There is no antidote for GHB overdose, and treatment is restricted to nonspecific
supportive care. Patients have required urgent emergency care; many of those hospitalized
have required ventilatory support and intensive care.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the U.S. Department of Justice has
issued the following statement: "Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB), known as liquid x,
Georgia home boy, Goop, gamma-oh, and grievous bodily harm, is a central nervous
system depressant abused for its ability to produce euphoric and hallucinatory states
and its alleged ability to release a growth hormone and stimulate muscle growth.
Although GHB was originally considered a safe and "natural" food supplement and
was sold in health food stores, the medical community soon became aware that it
caused overdoses and other health problems. GHB can produce drowsiness, dizziness,
nausea, unconsciousness, seizures, severe respiratory depression, and coma. GHB
can be found in liquid form or as a white powdered material. It is taken orally
and is frequently combined with alcohol. Abusers include high school and college
students and rave party attendees who use GHB for its intoxicating effects. Some
body builders also abuse GHB for its alleged anabolic effects. Several cases have
documented the use of GHB to incapacitate women for the commission of sexual assault.
being considered."
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