POLICE SEIZE LARGEST CACHE OF DANGEROUS `RAPE' DRUG

Hamilton-Wentworth police say they have seized their largest amount so
far of a so-called rape drug.

Although police have stumbled upon small quantities of
gammahydroxybutyrate (GHB) the past two years, they found a one-litre
bottle of the substance and 25 small vials similar in size to
five-gram containers during a weekend search of a King Street East
apartment. No one has been charged.

The drug can create euphoria and sexual arousal and is used
recreationally, but it has been linked to drug-related sexual assaults
in the Greater Toronto Area.

In high doses, it can cause coma. It is illegal under the federal
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

``To my knowledge, this is the first time we've come across such a
large quantity in Hamilton,'' Detective Kevin Dhinsa of the vice and
drug squad said yesterday.

``It's a concern to us because of the potential (of being a rape
drug), but it can also be injurious to the young adults taking it.''

Police also seized a small quantity of cocaine, weight scales and four
other types of drugs -- in pill form -- that have been sent for
analysis to the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto.

Three people, all in their 20s, were taken into custody following the
search but have since been released unconditionally. Dhinsa said the
investigation is continuing.

York police last Friday seized GHB during a search of a Markham home.
They found a jug containing four litres of undiluted GHB. Two men have
been charged with possession of a controlled substance and
manufacturing a controlled substance.

Dhinsa said investigators can't determine yet if the Hamilton seizure
is linked to the York bust.

GHB, a clear liquid, has various street names. It is also known as
Scoop, Liquid Ecstasy and GBH, which stands for `Grievous Bodily
Harm.' Dhinsa said a vial can be bought for between $20 and $50.

It can also cause dizziness, vomiting and seizures.

Police have recorded 15 suspected rapes linked to the use of rape
drugs like GHB.

Krista Warnke, of the Hamilton-area Sexual Assault Centre, said the
centre does not keep statistics on rape drugs but added she's aware of
some incidents linked to the drugs. She also said that in public
awareness talks she gives across the region, she finds many young
women are familiar with drugs like GHB and their nicknames.

Warnke is a member of a committee that has become so concerned about
the presence of the drugs that it's planning to launch a public
awareness campaign in May to coincide with Sexual Assault Awareness
Month. Come the fall, it also plans to focus on the campuses of
McMaster University and Mohawk College.

Warnke said, however, she has learned some women have already
developed strategies to prevent themselves from becoming victims to
drugs like GHB. She said some groups of women who patronize area
nightclubs are now always making sure one of them stays at the table
while the others are dancing to ensure no one tampers with their drinks.