STATE ACTS TO CONTROL DEADLY PARTY DRUG

HARTFORD - The state has taken emergency action to make GHB -- the
so-called party drug blamed in the death of an East Lyme man -- a
legally controlled substance.

The Department of Consumer Protection took unprecedented action
Wednesday, classifying gamma hydroxy butyrate and similar chemical
substances as Schedule IV controlled drugs, said Commissioner James
Fleming.

Previously sold as dietary supplements, GHB and its chemical archetype
GBL (gamma butyolactone) have gained popularity among young people
because they provide the relaxed, uninhibited feeling of a few drinks
but faster and cheaper.

Usually sold as a colorless and odorless liquid but sometimes as a
powder, GHB causes vomiting, sudden comas and seizures. First
developed in Europe as a surgical anesthetic, it depresses breathing.

GHB, which already is illegal in 20 states, is the subject of a
federal bill that would make it illegal. Since 1990, there have been
at least 32 deaths linked to the drug and more than 3,500 overdoses,
according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

"I think it's wonderful news. It's what we needed -- not just for
Connecticut where we've had problems, but for the whole nation," said
Dr. Mary McCormick, administrative director of the Connecticut Poison
Control Center at the University of Connecticut Health Center. "It now
should not be so easy for young people to get."

But, state police Detective Orlando C. Mo of the Statewide Narcotics
Task Force, said banning the sale and distribution of GHB is just the
beginning.

"That really doesn't change our situation much," said Mo. "The void we
need to fill is the possession. We still need to address this
legislatively at the state level. You can still purchase the
components and mix it up in your kitchen sink."

Mo also commended the media for reporting cases of GHB-related
sickness and death, saying such information alerts parents and young
people of the dangers.

McCormick, who became familiar with the effects of GHB in the early
1990s while working at the Los Angeles Poison Control Center, said the
first state case of GHB-related illness was reported to the UConn
facility in 1996. At least seven young people were treated in two days
at Connecticut hospitals after ingesting GHB during the second week of
June, she said.

The state medical examiner's office concluded that Andrew W. Hayes of
East Lyme died of the effects of combining GHB with alcohol after a
night of drinking with friends on April 4. Police are investigating
events that led up to Hayes' death.

State police Sgt. Todd Lynch, who is heading the investigation, said,
Wednesday's action "will not directly impact this case." Because Hayes
was 20 years old, the investigation focuses on underage drinking, he
said.

Similar cases abound across the nation, many of which involve the
filing of criminal charges.

Members of the U.S. House Commerce Committee's health and environment
subcommittee voted unanimously July 27 to pass the legislation
restricting the use of GHB. The bill was approved by the full
committee this month and will reach the House floor later this year,
said its author, Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich.

Upton's bill would put GHB among the federal category of drugs that
are most strictly regulated under the Controlled Substances Act.

Earlier this month, a Florida man and a Colorado man were charged in
Michigan with selling instructions and ingredients for GHB on the Internet.

Michigan State Attorney General Jennifer Granholm said the
instructions were so easy "a third-grader could have put them
together." The kit included GBL, potassium and step-by-step
instructions.

Connecticut officials say young people in cities and suburbs have no
problem finding GHB, whether it's on the street or via the Internet.

"You talk to any kids on the street, and they'll tell you it's easy to
get," McCormick.