SENATE OKS BILL TO TARGET `DATE-RAPE DRUG' ABUSERS

WASHINGTON -- The Senate approved a bill Friday to crack down on
abusers of so-called "date-rape drugs." The legislation is named for
girls from Texas and Michigan who died after consuming drug-laced soft
drinks.

If signed into law, the bill would put gamma hydroxybutyric acid -- an
odorless drug that can be made at home -- in the same category as hard
drugs, such as cocaine and heroin.

"This is one of the most important pieces of legislation to pass the
Senate," said Sen. Spencer Abraham, a Michigan Republican who
sponsored the bill. "These date-rape drugs are wreaking havoc on our
youth. It's time to crack down on those sexual predators that use them."

A similar measure breezed through the House last month 423- 1. Only
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Surfside, voted against the bill, saying the federal
government has no constitutional authority to regulate drug use. The
Senate bill passed by a voice vote.

A few drops of the colorless substance in a soft drink can render the
consumer unconscious in less than a half-hour. Victims frequently have
no memory of what happened. The drug is difficult to trace and leaves
the body within 24 hours.

Over the past decade, at least 32 deaths have been linked to GHB. The
Drug Enforcement Administration, which supports the legislation,
reported that more than 3,500 people have overdosed on the drug.

The bill would make it illegal to possess GHB with the intent to
manufacture, distribute or dispense it. The crime could bring up to 20
years in prison.

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

The legislation was named for two girls who died after consuming the
drug. One was 17-year-old Hillory Farias of La Porte, Texas, who died
in 1996. The other was a 15-year-old Michigan girl, Samantha Reid,
whose January death was blamed on GHB.

Abraham's bill is almost identical to the House version, which was
sponsored by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston.

Senate aides said the two bills are similar enough that the House
probably will go along with Abraham's version and send it to President
Clinton for his signature.