CONGRESS TOUGHENS DATE-RAPE DRUG LAW

Substance Linked To 58 Deaths Since 1990

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A bill that significantly toughens federal laws and
prison sentences for possession of a powerful "date rape" drug has passed
the House and been sent to President Clinton for his signature.

Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., the bill's House sponsor, said Clinton indicated
he would sign the bill.

GHB, or gamma hydroxybutyrate, has been linked to at least 58 deaths since
1990 and more than 5,700 recorded overdoses, the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) has said.

A few drops of the drug, which is colorless and odorless, can be slipped
into a drink, rendering a victim unconscious within 20 minutes. Victims
frequently have no memory of what happened, and the drug is difficult to
trace, often leaving the body within 24 hours.

'Dangerous And Sometimes Fatal'

The House passed the bill Monday evening by a vote of 339-2, accepting
minor revisions to it made by the Senate. The Senate passed the legislation
by voice vote in November. The two House members voting against it were
Reps. Ron Paul, R-Texas, and Helen Chenoweth, R-Idaho.

Upton said GHB was a "dangerous and sometimes fatal drug used to facilitate
sexual assaults." He said deaths from the drug "are increasing rapidly,"
from one in 1990 to 17 last year.

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. The bill also significantly increases prison time
for the drug.

Instructions Obtained Over Internet

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.

The legislation also places tougher monitoring controls on the distribution
of GBL, a component of GHB, which has commercial applications, to try to
prevent its diversion for illegal uses.

GHB, which can give users a high, also has been mixed in bathtubs at
parties, and instructions on how to make it can be easily obtained over the
Internet, authorities say.

GHB already is a controlled substance in 20 states.