DATE-RAPE DRUG USE INCREASING, POLICE CLAIM

It wasn't too long ago that the RCMP's drug expert Sgt. Scott Rintoul
would visit parts of the province where people had never heard of
GHB, the so-called date-rape drug.

Not any more.

"I know use of GHB is increasing because when I travel the province
and go to areas where they'd never heard of GHB, I now find our
members seizing it," Rintoul said.

It's a drug rapidly gaining in popularity among young adults, and
while its date-rape potential has been well publicized, Rintoul said
many more people are using it to mimic the effects of alcohol.

"It gets the rap as the date-rape drug, but it's more widely used as
an alcohol substitute. It acts on the body the same way alcohol does.
It lowers inhibitions and you become intoxicated in much the same way
as you do using alcohol," he said.

GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) is colourless and odourless, sells on the
street for $5 to $10 a dose, and a number of people have died
following overdoses.

Earlier this month, University of Victoria student Zoe Read, 22, died
after taking a swig of what she thought was water from a clear
Gatorade bottle. She was at a party where cocaine, alcohol and small
amounts of GHB were being consumed, police said.

It is precisely that scenario that Rintoul says is so dangerous for
young people.

"The biggest gap when it comes to dealing with the drug culture is
the lack of awareness of the dangers. We're not educating people
enough about the risks.

"There's a relatively large section of the population that are not
high-risk but are engaging in behaviour that is costing them their
lives. The girl who died in Victoria is a perfect example," he said.
"We don't need any more victims."

Rintoul said GHB has become a favourite drug for people involved in
the modelling industry and for those who are body-conscious.

"GHB has no calories, so it's attractive to persons concerned about
their body image. I've spoken to male and female models who say it's
part of their social scene because in their profession, slim is in.

"And it's the same for the bar-stars who live to hang out in clubs
and are concerned about how they look. They can take GHB and get an
alcohol high without gaining weight," he said.

But assessing how prevalent the use of GHB is in date rape is
difficult, said Rintoul.

"I've spoken to many officers who have been involved in sexual
assault investigations who believe GHB was involved. I'm hearing it
from all over the province. About five per cent of reported sexual
assaults involve victims who say they were drugged," he said.

"But we can't say GHB is the only thing because alcohol could have
been used or cocaine or heroin. The problem with GHB is that it
metabolizes so quickly that it can be gone within 12 to 24 hours and
a lot of victims don't report sexual assaults right away.

"If they wait 24 hours or 48 or 72 hours it could be right out of
their system," he said.

It's a drug that can only be detected by the RCMP forensic laboratory
or the B.C. Coroner's Service laboratory and would not be detected in
a hospital laboratory, Rintoul sai .

Daisy Kler of the Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter said the
organization has not noticed an increase in reports of rape being
facilitated by GHB.

"Men have always used alcohol and drugs to rape women. We find that
when the issue of GHB is in the media, we get calls from women who
are fearful that it might have happened to them," she said.

"But we can't say there's been an increase."

Date-Rape Drug

- - GHB -- gamma hydroxybutyrate -- has no legal use in Canada, says
RCMP Sgt. Scott Rintoul. Its precursors are paint strippers. It is a
colourless, odourless liquid that can be purchased for $5 to $10 a
dose on the street.

- - In the U.S., a clinical trial has begun using GHB to treat alcoholism.

- - It has been labelled the date-rape drug as it produces rapid
intoxication, is almost impossible to detect and in some cases
induces memory loss.