DESIGNER DRUG GHB A GROWING PROBLEM

Despite colorful nicknames such as Liquid X, Easy Lay and Georgia Home Boy,
the designer drug GHB is difficult to spot. In liquid form, GHB lacks color
and smell - and a few drops are enough to get high.

"It's a lot easier to conceal than a six-pack of beer," said Douglas
Dickson, dean of students at St. Paul's School, which recently expelled a
student for allegedly selling GHB to his classmates.

GHB joins the ranks of drugs popular among teenagers at dance halls and
all-night techno raves. Less of a household name than Ecstasy, the drug
produces a similar feeling of euphoria. Like the more familiar Rohypnol,
GHB has also been linked to date rape.

"We're aware of its presence in New Hampshire," said Diane Brackett,
spokeswoman for the New England division of the federal Drug Enforcement
Administration. "But GHB is not at the level of other drugs of choice, such
as Ecstasy and Ketamine."

Nationwide, GHB has been a factor in 71 deaths and around 5,700 emergency
room visits, according to a recent DEA report. Between 1998 and 200, the
number of GHB overdoses in U.S. emergency rooms quadrupled. New Hampshire
has not yet gathered statistics on the prevalence of GHB, according to
Lindy Keller, an administrator at the state's Division of Alcohol and Drug
Abuse Prevention and Recovery.

Some people call GHB "Liquid Ecstasy" because it produces a high similar to
that of MDMA, better known as Ecstasy. Another nickname is "Easy Lay,"
because people have used GHB to aid sexual assault or date rape. After
taking GHB, a person can remain conscious yet lose the ability to move and
may suffer from memory loss, according to a magazine article distributed to
St. Paul's students following the recent GHB incident.

In the case of an overdose, GHB can cause unconsciousness, seizures and
even a coma. In smaller quantities, GHB causes drowsiness, dizziness and
nausea.

GHB, an abbreviation for gamma hydroxybutyric acid, is a central nervous
system depressant that contains the main ingredients found in furniture
stripper and drain cleaner.

Though a powder version is available, GHB users typically dissolve a liquid
form in water, juice or alcohol, making it relatively easy to hide. The
drug typically sells for between $5 and $25.

A decade ago, health food stores sold GHB as a muscle-building tool. The
Food and Drug Administration banned GHB in 1990. In 2000, President Clinton
signed the Date Rape Prevention Act, which made it a crime to possess,
manufacture or sell GHB.