'DATE-RAPE' DRUG SPREADS AMONG YOUTH

B.C. Teenager Died: Police Say GHB Being Used As Alcohol Substitute

VANCOUVER - RCMP drug expert Sergeant Scott Rintoul said he can no
longer visit parts of British Columbia and find that no one has heard
of GHB -- the "date-rape drug."

"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," said Sgt. Rintoul.

It is a drug rapidly gaining in popularity among young adults and
while its date rape potential has been well publicized, Sgt. 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," said Sgt. Rintoul.

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 an overdose.

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.

The student was at a party where cocaine, alcohol and small amounts
of GHB were being consumed, Victoria police said.

It is precisely that scenario that Sgt. Rintoul says is so dangerous
to young persons.

"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. We don't need
any more victims," he said.

Sgt. Rintoul said GHB has become a favourite drug for those 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 barstars 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 Sgt. 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 5% 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 is 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, said Sgt. Rintoul.

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," she said.