By Braden Castro and Marissa Carpenter GHB By Braden Castro and Marissa Carpenter

Names GHB: Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid Generic drug: sodium oxybate Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prescription medication: Xyrem® (“GHB Drug Fact Sheet”) Used for treatment of narcolepsy, a sleep disorder only (“Club Drugs”) Street names: Easy Lay, G, Georgia Home Boy, Goop, Grievous Bodily Harm, Liquid Ecstasy, Liquid X, Scoop (“GHB Drug Fact Sheet”)

General Information Depressant: slows the Central Nervous System, puts you to sleep, relieves anxiety and muscle spasms, and prevents seizures (“Drugs of Abuse”) Hallucinogen: can produce visual hallucinations (“GHB Drug Fact Sheet”) Club Drug: tends to be abused by teens and young adults at bars, nightclubs, concerts, and parties Exists naturally in the brain, but at much lower concentrations than those found when GHB is abused (“Club Drugs”)

Legality Schedule I controlled substance High potential for abuse No currently accepted medical use in treatment in U.S. Lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision FDA-approved Xyrem® is considered a Schedule III substance Less potential for abuse Currently accepted medical use in treatment in U.S. Abuse may lead to low physical dependence or high psychological dependence (“Drugs of Abuse”)

Forms Usually sold as a liquid or a white powder to dissolve in a liquid Can also be found in pill form

Ways it Can be Taken Orally ingested A solvent in a liquid A pill Average dose ranges from 1 to 5 grams (“Drugs of Abuse”) Often used as a “date-rape” drug Slipped unnoticed into alcohol or other drinks Sedates and incapacitates unsuspecting victims, preventing them from resisting sexual assault (“Club Drugs”)

Short-Term Effects Low doses: nausea High doses or overdose: unconsciousness, seizures, slowed heart rate, greatly slowed breathing, lower body temperature, vomiting, nausea, coma, and death (“GHB Drug Fact Sheet”) Anabolic effects: stimulates protein synthesis and has been used by bodybuilders to aid in fat reduction and muscle building (“Club Drugs”)

Long-Term Effects Regular use of GHB can lead to addiction and withdrawal that includes: Insomnia Anxiety Tremors Increased heart rate and blood pressure Occasional psychotic thoughts

Impact on Community

Works Cited Works Cited “Club Drugs.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, July 2010, www.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/clubdrugs10.pdf. “Drugs of Abuse.” DEA, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, 2017, www.dea.gov/pr/multimedia-library/publications/drug_of_abuse.pdf. “GHB Drug Fact Sheet.” DEA, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, www.dea.gov/druginfo/drug_data_sheets/GHB.pdf. NIDA NOTES - Conference Highlights Increasing GHB Abuse, archives.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol16N2/Conference.html.

Works Cited-Pictures https://wiki.tripsit.me/wiki/GHB https://thump.vice.com/en_au/article/bma7xm/everything-you-need-to-know- about-ghb-in-canadas-club-scene http://sleephub.com.au/xyrem-in-australia/ https://www.marqueelasvegas.com/nightclub/ http://www.addictionsearch.com/addiction-topics/tags/ghb/1/