Officials believe it is catching on with a broader and younger crowd because it provides the equivalent of hours of drinking in a single swallow. In recent weeks, Chicago Narcotics Cmdr. But perhaps the most telling sign of GHB's threat locally is being seen in emergency rooms, with major medical centers across the Chicago area reporting a startling rise in recreational use of GHB among teenagers during the past year and a half. Many officials tell stories of a stream of high schoolers arriving for treatment after being knocked unconscious by the drug. In low doses, doctors said, GHB produces an effect similar to drunkenness, along with drowsiness and amnesia.
Higher doses can cause hallucinations.
Very high doses can lead to extremely low heart and breathing rates and even coma, said Dr. Alan Kaplan, head of emergency services at Naperville's Edward Hospital. The dangers are exacerbated when GHB is taken with other drugs or alcohol. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration, federal authorities have tied GHB use to 49 deaths since 1995. At least six have been reported since June. At Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Dr. David Zull said the number is as high as three incidents each week.