# Presentation: 514711

## GHB Abuse                                          in the United States

**Carol Falkowski**
**Director of Research Communications, Hazelden Foundation**
**NIDA CEWG member since 1986**
**Author: Dangerous Drugs: An Easy-to-Use Reference for Parents and Professionals, Hazelden Publishing, 2000.**

## Measuring Drug Abuse

**Population surveys**
**Hospital ER data (DAWN)**
**Medical examiner data**
**Addiction treatment data**
**Law enforcement data**
**Ethnographic studies**

## All data systems                      have limitations 

**NEW drugs of abuse hard to track**
**NEW methods of use hard to track**
**Existing systems slow to respond**
**System-wide learning curve**

## Community Epidemiology        Work Group  (CEWG)

-  **convened by National Institute on Drug Abuse since 1976**
** ****modeled by other countries, parts of the world**

## Community Epidemiology        Work Group  (CEWG)

-  ** ****Early warning epidemiological surveillance network**
**Detects new drugs of abuse, patterns of use populations at risk**

## Community Epidemiology        Work Group  (CEWG)

**Researchers from different geographic areas analyze similar data on an ongoing basis**
**Researchers in 20 US cities write a report on drug abuse trends twice annually**

## Community Epidemiology        Work Group  (CEWG)

** ****ME data**
** ****DAWN emergency room episodes**
** ****Treatment data**
** ****Law enforcement data**
** ****Supplemental research and information from multiple sources**

## Club Drugs 

**GHB****(liquid X, gamma, G, easy lay, Georgia Home Boy, Great Hormones at Bedtime)**
**MDMA (ecstasy, e, X)**
**Ketamine (Specail K)**
**Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol)**
**Methamphetmine**
**LSD**

## Progression of GHB                        in CEWG cities

**1990 - Florida Poison Information ****	****	****Center**
**1990 - 1994 – Miami, NYC reports**
**1996 - 6 cities**
**2000 - most cities**

## User Profiles – Sources of GHB

**Young partiers – nightclubs, raves**
**Young partiers - ?**
**Body builders – gyms, Internet**
**People seeking sex, sleep effects – health food stores, Internet**
**Abusers seeking alcohol-like effects – parties, Internet**

## Patterns of Use

**Party settings – formal and informal****(nightclubs, raves, circuit parties or after sporting events, at friend’s house, etc)**
**In between work-out sessions ****(body builders)**
**Predatory use – drug assisted rape**

## Consequences of Use

**Deaths**
**Adverse medical reactions**
**Dependence**

## Slide 13

## Slide 14

## Slide 15

## States Efforts to Control GHB(as of June 2000)

**SCHEDULE 1**Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, RhodeUtah, Virginia, Wisconsin
**SCHEDULE II**California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Ohio
**SCHEDULE III**North Carolina, Minnesota, South Dakota**SALE and POSSESSION **is a criminal offense in highest penalty group in: Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, Texas
-      SOURCE: US Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Diversion Control

## Conclusions

- GHB is a significant and growing drug of abuse
- Rapid growth in adverse consequences since 1999 (ER episodes surpass MDMA)
- Multiple user typologies
- Dependence possible