NEW LAW TARGETS POSSESSION OF 'DATE RAPE' DRUG

President Clinton signed a bill Friday that would toughen federal laws for
possession and distribution of a powerful "date rape" drug.

GHB, or gamma hydrozybutyrate, has been linked to at least 58 deaths since
1990 and more than 5,700 recorded overdoses, according to the Drug
Enforcement Administration.

A few drops of the colorless, odorless drug are usually slipped into a
drink. A victim who drinks it can lose consciousness within 20 minutes and
often have no memory of what happened. The drug is difficult to trace, often
leaving the body within 24 hours.

Under the legislation, GHB would be placed in a category of drugs that are
the most strictly regulated by the federal Controlled Substances Act. Anyone
who possesses, manufactures or distributes GHB could face a prison term of
up to 20 years.

The legislation would give the DEA authority for the first time to seek
federal criminal prosecutions against those possessing and distributing the
drug, DEA officials said.

Exceptions would be made for GHB clinical studies approved by the Food and
Drug Administration to determine whether the drug helps with medical
problems such as narcolepsy, a sleeping disorder.