THE HISTORY OF GAMMA HYDROXYBUTYRATE

The drug Gamma Hydroxybutyrate is a synthetic depressant that is being made secretly in various labs. The drug is available as a prescription for sleeps disorders in some other nations. The FDA banned it in the U.S.

in 1990 due to the dangers in using it. But on 17^th July 2002, Gamma Hydroxybutyrate was permitted for use in treating a rare form of narcolepsy. Most of this drug used in the U.S. is manufactured illegally within the country. Gamma Hydroxybutyrate and its analogs, like Rohypnol, are considered a “date rape” drug. They can be mixed with liquids, even water, and a victim would not be able to detect anything by seeing or smelling it. By itself, Gamma Hydroxybutyrate has a salty or soapy taste, but after mixing in a drink, detection would be difficult.

The ingredients of Gamma Hydroxybutyrate can be butanediol, a chemical used for producing adhesives and plastics, or GBL, a solvent used commonly for paint stripping. GBL and butanediol can both be metabolized into Gamma Hydroxybutyrate once ingested into the human body. Both these ingredients are very difficult to trace since they are quickly discharged from the body and hence may be tough to detect in emergency rooms or other facilities for treatment.