HOUSE WEIGHS 'RAPE-DRUG' LAW

WASHINGTON - Lawmakers are considering increasing penalties for possession
of GHB, a "date-rape drug" appearing all over the country and blamed for
seizures, comas and death.

Colorless, odorless and with a slightly salty taste, the substance is among
several drugs that attackers have used to make women lose consciousness
before assaulting them. It also is a popular club drug often used to
neutralize effects of other substances.

"The difficulties it presents law enforcement point up the need for severe
penalties for possession," Rep. Asa Hutchinson, R-Ark., said at a recent
hearing on the drug. He said he has seen several cases of women who claimed
to have been immobilized by GHB and raped and could not identify their
assailants because the drug affects victims' memories.

GHB, or gamma hydroxy butyrate, is a depressant of the central nervous
system that in higher doses can produce breathing problems, seizures, comas
and death. Reports of intoxication, rape and death caused by GHB have
emerged.

The drug is difficult for police to detect because it can be concealed in
water and eye-drop bottles. It also can disappear from the blood in as
quickly as 12 hours.

House members are considering several proposals to crack down on the substance.

Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Texas, has introduced a bill to make it easier
for law-enforcement officials to prosecute dealers who try to circumvent
the law by tweaking their recipes for GHB. Its chemical composition
produces the desired effect but it no longer fits the drug's legal
definition, thereby thwarting prosecution under current law.

Her bill would direct the attorney general to establish education programs
about date-rape substances.

Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)