BULLETIN INTELLIGENCE

U. S. D E P A R T M E N T O F J U S T I C E

GHB analogs often are abused in place of GHB 

or are used to produce GHB. Common GHB analogs include GBL, BD, GHV, and GVL. (See Table 

1.) Both GBL and BD metabolize into GHB upon 

ingestion. GBL is the most common precursor used 

in the production of GHB. GVL is abused in place 

of GHB because it metabolizes into GHV, which 

produces physiological effects similar to GHB.

Table 1. GHB Analogs

Analog Chemical Name/

Alternative Name

Precursor for

Production of

Metabolizes

Into

GBL

gamma-butyrolactone

furanone di-hydro

dihydrofuranone

GHB GHB

BD

1,4-butanediol

tetramethylene glycol

sucol-B

butylene glycol

GBL GHB

GHV gamma-hydroxyvalerate

methyl-GHB * *

GVL gamma-valerolactone

4-pentanolide GHV GHV

* GHV is not used as a precursor and is not metabolized into another 

drug.

GHB Used in Drug-Facilitated 

Sexual Assaults 

Federal, state, and local law enforcement 

agencies in every region of the country report 

that GHB appears to be the substance most 

commonly used in drug-facilitated sexual assaults 

because of its powerful sedative properties. 

When used to commit sexual assaults, the drug 

typically is mixed into victims’ drinks—usually 

without their knowledge—to mask the drug’s salty 

taste. GHB is rapidly absorbed and metabolized 

by the body. Detectable levels of GHB may 

remain in urine for approximately 8 to 12 hours 

and in blood for 4 to 8 hours after ingestion. 

Routine blood or urine testing does not screen 

for GHB; therefore, it is important to specifically 

request a GHB screen as soon after the assault 

as possible. Detectable levels of undigested 

GHB may be found in victims’ vomit; vomiting is a 

common effect of GHB use.

GHB Trafficking and Abuse

Product No. 2004-L0424-015 SEPTEMBER 2004

GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate), a Schedule I drug under the Controlled 

Substances Act, is a powerful central nervous system depressant that is 

often used illicitly for its euphoric and sedative effects. GHB trafficking 

and abuse have become of particular concern to law enforcement and 

public health agencies because of the increasing availability of the drug 

in some areas, sharp increases in emergency department mentions for 

GHB since the mid-1990s, and the use of GHB in the commission of 

drug-facilitated sexual assaults.

© Porrata Consulting
GHB Trafficking and Abuse

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Availability

GHB is available to varying degrees in every 

state, and overall availability appears to be increasing slightly. Only a limited number of federal law 

enforcement agencies report that GHB is readily or 

widely available. These agencies include the Arizona, New York/New Jersey, South Texas, and 

Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programs and the Atlanta, 

Dallas, Houston, and Los Angeles Field Divisions 

of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). 

Most HIDTAs and DEA Field Divisions report that 

GHB availability is moderate or low; however, 

nine HIDTAs and six DEA Field Divisions report 

that availability is increasing. 

National Drug Threat Survey (NDTS) 2003 

data also indicate increasing GHB availability. 

NDTS 2003 data reveal that 20.7 percent of state 

and local law enforcement agencies nationwide 

report that GHB availability is high or moderate—

an increase from 16.4 percent in 2002. More than 

half (59.0%) of state and local law enforcement 

agencies report availability as low. However, the 

percentage of state and local agencies reporting that 

GHB is not available in their areas decreased to 

15.8 percent in 2003 from 29.6 percent in 2002. 

DEA drug seizure data also indicate increasing 

GHB availability. According to DEA System to 

Retrieve Information From Drug Evidence (STRIDE) 

data, the amount of GHB samples submitted for testing has fluctuated but increased overall from 100,218 

milliliters in 2001, to 77,918.9 milliliters in 2002, to 

130,415 milliliters in 2003. 

The number of GHB- and GBL-related investigations and arrests is mixed, despite law enforcement reporting and NDTS 2003 and seizure data 

that indicate slightly increasing GHB availability. 

According to DEA, the number of arrests for GHBrelated offenses increased from zero in 2002 to 

nine in 2003. Similarly, the number of GHB-related 

investigations by DEA also increased from 8 in 

2002 to 19 in 2003. However, from fiscal year 

(FY) 2002 to FY2003 the number of Organized 

Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) 

GHB- and GBL-related investigations and indictments has decreased. The number of GHB- and 

GBL-related OCDETF investigations decreased 

from 18 in FY2002 to 11 in FY2003; the number 

of indictments also decreased from 9 in FY2002 to 

2 in FY2003. 

National Forensic Laboratory Information System data indicate that GHB rarely is identified in 

drug items analyzed by state and local forensic laboratories. In 2002, 12,247 samples were analyzed 

and identified as club drugs (GHB/GBL, ketamine, 

MDA, MDEA, MDMA, and PDA), but GHB/GBL 

accounted for only 4.48 percent (549) of these and 

less than 1 percent of all drug samples identified. 

Regionally, forensic laboratories in the South 

reported the highest number of GHB/GBL items 

analyzed (363) followed by the Midwest (94), West 

(77), and Northeast (15). 

Abuse 

Adolescents, particularly tenth and twelfth 

graders, appear to be the predominant users of 

GHB. Monitoring the Future (MTF) data for 2003 

reveal that rates of past year use of GHB among 

both tenth and twelfth graders were 1.4 percent 

compared with 0.9 percent among eighth graders. 

MTF data indicate that past year rates of GHB use 

among college students (aged 18 to 22) and young 

adults (aged 19 to 28) were lower than those of 

tenth and twelfth graders at 0.6 percent and 0.8 

percent, respectively, in 2002—the most recent 

year for which such data are available. Although 

MTF data indicate that adolescents are the predominant users of GHB, Drug Abuse Warning 

Network (DAWN) data indicate that the predominant GHB user group entering hospital emergency 

departments for treatment of GHB-induced 

symptoms is young adults. DAWN data for 2002 

indicate that 54.4 percent (1,812 of 3,330) of 

emergency department (ED) mentions for 
National Drug Intelligence Center

 3

GHB/GBL were attributed to individuals aged 18 

to 25, followed by individuals aged 26 to 34, a 

group that accounted for 32.2 percent (1,071 of 

3,330) of total GHB/GBL ED mentions. 

MTF data also reveal that rates of past year use 

of GHB among adolescents appear to be lower in 

large metropolitan areas than are rates of use 

among adolescents in smaller cities and rural areas. 

According to MTF data, rates of past year use of 

GHB for eighth (0.6%), tenth (0.9%), and twelfth 

(1.4%) graders in large metropolitan statistical 

areas (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia PA-NJ, Detroit, Washington DC-MD-VA, 

Dallas-Fort Worth, and Boston) were lower than 

for eighth (0.9%), tenth (1.8%), and twelfth (1.9%) 

graders in nonmetropolitan statistical areas in 

2002, the latest year for which data are available.

DAWN data indicate that Caucasian males 

account for more GHB/GBL ED mentions than 

other ethnic or gender groups. DAWN data for 

2002 reveal that 98.4 percent (2,978 of 3,330) of 

ED mentions for GHB/GBL were attributed to 

Caucasian patients, and 65.8 percent (2,192 of 

3,330) of GHB/GBL ED mentions were attributed 

to male patients. 

Oral consumption of liquid GHB is the most 

common, although capsule and tablet forms also 

are available, as is powdered GHB, which is 

snorted. Because of the drug’s salty taste, liquid 

GHB typically is mixed into a beverage.

Users of GHB seek the drug’s euphoric and 

sedative properties. The physical and psychological 

effects of GHB are largely dose-dependent but are 

also influenced by factors such as the user’s weight 

and health, whether the drug is taken on a full 

stomach, and whether the user is well-hydrated. 

Although potency varies greatly, the onset of the 

drug’s effects generally occurs within 15 to 30 minutes of ingestion, and effects persist typically for 3 

to 6 hours.

Trends regarding overall GHB use are mixed. 

MTF data show that from 2002 to 2003, past year 

use of GHB among eighth graders trended upward 

from 0.8 to 0.9 percent, remained stable among 

tenth graders at 1.4 percent, and trended downward 

among twelfth graders from 1.5 to 1.4 percent; 

however, none of the rate changes were statistically 

significant. Partnership Attitude Tracking Study 

(PATS) data show that lifetime use among young 

individuals aged 12 to 17 was 3 percent in 2001 

and 4 percent in 2002, the latest year for which 

such data are available. MTF is the only nationallevel study that tracks past year rates of use of 

GHB among adults, and only 1 year (2002) of data 

is available. Nevertheless, MTF data for 2002 

reveal that rates of past year use of GHB were 

higher, albeit only slightly, among young adults 

aged 19 to 28 (0.8%) than among college students 

aged 18 to 22 (0.6%).

The consequences of GHB use appear to be stabilizing. According to DAWN data, the estimated 

number of GHB ED mentions increased sharply 

from 1995 (145) to 2000 (4,969) but then decreased 

to 3,340 in 2001. In 2002, the estimated number of 

ED mentions for GHB trended downward, although 

not significantly, to 3,330.

Table 2. Common Effects of GHB

Dose Common Effects

1 gram or less Relaxation similar to alcohol

intoxication

1 to 2 grams 

Euphoria, reduced inhibitions, 

enhanced sensuality and sexuality, 

increased sensory stimulation

2 to 4 grams Speech and motor skill interference

4 grams or more

Agitation, combativeness,

confusion, loss of coordination,

seizure-like posturing of the limbs, 

respiratory depression, urinary

and fecal incontinence, vomiting, 

wavering states of consciousness, 

overdose death 

Source: Drug Identification Bible 2001.
GHB Trafficking and Abuse

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Production

GHB is produced illegally in domestic and foreign laboratories; however, there are no generally 

accepted estimates as to how much GHB is produced illegally each year. Law enforcement sources 

report that GHB is produced in most regions of the 

country; seven HIDTAs—Central Florida, Midwest, 

Nevada, North Texas, Oregon, Rocky Mountain, 

and South Florida—report production in their areas. 

Nevertheless, DEA El Paso Intelligence Center 

(EPIC) National Clandestine Laboratory Seizure 

System (NCLSS) data show that the number of 

reported GHB laboratory seizures is low and 

decreased from 13 in 2001 to 7 in 2002 to 2 in 2003. 

California law enforcement agencies reported the 

highest number of GHB laboratory seizures each 

year from 1999 through 2001; however, in 2002 

Oregon led all states with 2 seizures. California and 

Connecticut each reported 1 seizure in 2003.

Transportation and

Distribution

Foreign-produced GHB that is distributed and 

consumed in the United States typically is smuggled into the country from Canada, Europe, Mexico 

and, to a lesser extent, Israel. GHB is most often 

transported into the United States via commercial 

airlines, mail services, or private vehicles. Domestically produced GHB is typically transported from 

laboratory sites to drug markets via private vehicles 

or mail services. Middle-class Caucasian males 

between 18 and 30 years of age are the predominant 

distributors of GHB; however, African American 

gangs and local independent dealers are active in 

GHB distribution as well. GHB typically is distributed at raves as well as at nightclubs, bars, gyms, 

and on college and high school campuses. GHB 

also is sold over the Internet, where it is often 

falsely marketed as cleaning products and nail polish remover.At the retail level, GHB is packaged in 

plastic bottles and sold to teens and young adults, 

Prescription Form of GHB 

In July 2002 the U.S. Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA) approved Xyrem, a 

Schedule III prescription form of GHB, for 

treating narcoleptic patients who experience 

episodes of cataplexy, a debilitating medical 

condition in which a person suddenly feels 

weak and collapses at moments of strong 

emotion. Diversion of Xyrem is subject to 

penalties under the Controlled Substances Act, 

and both the drug’s manufacturer and the FDA 

have worked to establish tight controls on 

distribution. A single centralized pharmacy 

dispenses Xyrem for all U.S. patients only after 

the patient is informed of the proper use of the 

drug and dangers associated with misuse.

Operation Webslinger

On September 19, 2002, Attorney General John 

Ashcroft and former DEA Administrator Asa 

Hutchinson announced the arrests of 115 

individuals in 84 cities in the United States and 

Canada who were involved in distributing GHB 

and its analogs GBL and BD over the Internet. 

The arrests were the result of a 2-year 

investigation conducted by DEA, U.S. Postal 

Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection, Internal Revenue Service, Federal 

Bureau of Investigation, Royal Canadian 

Mounted Police, and Ontario Provincial Police. 

The investigations focused on activities in the 

cities of Detroit, St. Louis, San Diego, Buffalo, 

Mobile, Sparta (TN), and Quebec City (Canada). 

Officials report that 27 of the arrested individuals 

were wholesale distributors; the remaining 

arrestees were midlevel, wholesale, and retail 

distributors and customers. On January 30, 

2004, a mother and son who were two of the 

arrestees were sentenced to prison on charges 

of conspiracy to distribute BD. The mother was 

sentenced to 168 months in prison; her son 

received a prison sentence of 100 months. The 

other defendants are awaiting trial. 
National Drug Intelligence Center

 5

usually for $5 to $30 per dose. A capful, typically 

the size of the cap from a small water bottle, is the 

most common dosage unit at the retail level. 

Outlook

GHB use will likely remain limited. MTF has 

recorded past year rates of use for GHB among 

eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders only for the past 4 

reporting years (2000–2003). MTF began recording 

past year rates of use for GHB among adults only in 

2002. Therefore, accurate analysis of long-term 

trends in GHB use is not yet possible; however, the 

data indicate continued limited use in the near term. 

MTF data show that despite small fluctuations in 

rates of GHB use among eighth, tenth, and twelfth 

graders, past year rates of use have not exceeded 

2.0 percent in any year among any age group, and 

rates of use may be trending downward for eighth 

and twelfth graders. Moreover, MTF data indicate 

that GHB use has not spread significantly beyond 

the predominant user group—Caucasian adolescents—to include a greater percentage of other 

ethnic or age groups. 
GHB Trafficking and Abuse

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National Drug Intelligence Center

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Sources

Executive Office of the President

Office of National Drug Control Policy

High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas

Arizona

New York/New Jersey

South Texas

Washington/Baltimore

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

National Institutes of Health

National Institute on Drug Abuse

Monitoring the Future

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration

Office of Applied Studies

Drug Abuse Warning Network 

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

U.S. Department of Justice

Criminal Division

National Forensic Laboratory Information 

System

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task 

Force

Drug Enforcement Administration

Atlanta Field Division

Dallas Field Division

El Paso Intelligence Center

National Clandestine Laboratory 

Seizure System

Houston Field Division

Los Angeles Field Division

System to Retrieve Information From Drug 

Evidence
GHB Trafficking and Abuse

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