PENNSYLVANIA PASSES BILL ON DATE RAPE DRUGS

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Pennsylvania women may soon be offered more
protection against a dangerous date rape drug.

On Nov. 9, the state House of Representatives passed a bill placing legal
implications on the importation, production, sale and use of date rape
drugs, according to a press release from the office of Rep. Kerry
Benninghoff, R-Centre.

The proposed legislation passed the House with a unanimous vote, said state
Rep. Lynn Herman, R-Centre.

The bill, authored by Benninghoff, and co-sponsored by Herman, requires the
substance gamma butyrolactone (GBL) to be reported and tracked by the
Pennsylvania Department of Health, Benninghoff said.

GBL is a "precursor chemical," Benninghoff said, because it is a depressant
commonly used in industrial cleaners and, when ingested, is transformed
into the more commonly known date rape drug gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB).

Both GBL and GHB are currently unrestricted in Pennsylvania, Benninghoff
said. Despite its illegal uses, GBL and GHB are used in medical research
for treating a form of narcolepsy. Physicians and pharmacists who prescribe
the drug will be exempt from the law.

Technological advancements have made GHB an increasingly available substance.

"It (GHB) can be manufactured in your home," said Linda LaSalle, community
health educator for University Health Services.

Recipes for GHB are available on the Internet, Benninghoff said, adding,
"There is no reason any average citizen would need this (recipe)."

GHB has been used as a tool for rapists on college campuses.

GBL and GHB are powerful and colorless, odorless and tasteless, Benninghoff
said, adding their attributes make them extremely dangerous. Women who feel
they may have been given GHB or another date rape drug have options as to
where they can turn.

Students should go to UHS or Centre Community Hospital immediately if they
think they may have been drugged, LaSalle said, adding UHS screens for GHB,
but the drug only registers in blood tests for about 12 hours after exposure.

UHS offers free medical services for victims of all types of sexual
assault, she added.

While UHS offers services to treat victims of GHB, difficulty still exists
in determining the number of individuals the drug has affected.

It's the victim's choice to report a date rape drug case to the police,
LaSalle said.

The proposed legislation will hand out stiff penalties including a $25,000
fine or up to five years in jail for those who do not comply with standards.

The bill now goes to the state Senate, Benninghoff said, adding he is
optimistic that the bill will be passed this month.