DESIGNER DRUG USE GROWING AMONG YOUNG

The number of people knowingly taking the date-rape drug GHB is on
the rise in London, police say.

On Saturday night, five young adults were taken to hospital after
taking GHB, or gamma-hydroxybutyrate.

Police spokesperson Const. Ryan Holland said seven people admitted to
using the odourless, colourless liquid drug and knowingly mixing it
with alcohol at a house party.

Health officials say the risk of an overdose increases when GHB and
alcohol are combined.

"This is a drug they know nothing about," said Linda Sibley-Bowers,
executive director of the Alcohol and Drug Services of Thames Valley.

She is concerned youths and young adults are increasingly using club
or designer drugs, such as GHB and ecstacy, without a proper
understanding of the potential side-effects. "It's more of a problem
than people think."

Both drugs are depressants that relax the central nervous system.
When combined with alcohol, they can cause vomiting, loss of
consciousness, seizures and even death.

More than 80 per cent of GHB-related deaths involve alcohol, said
Jayne Scarterfield, a public health nurse with the Middlesex-London
Health Unit.

She said the best prevention is not to take the drugs. But
Sibley-Bowers said the reality is people do use drugs and they need
to be educated about them.

"We would like them not to use drugs at all, but that's not the
reality," she said.

"If they want to experiment with drugs, they will find a way,"
Sibley-Bowers said.

"If you're desperate to have this experience, there are safer ways to do it."

She suggests using only drugs with known ingredients, staying in a
safe environment and having one person remain drug-free in case of
problems.

Paul Whitehead, a sociology professor specializing in criminology and
addictions at the University of Western Ontario, believes young
people are experimenting with the date-rape drug out of curiosity and
ignorance.

He said youth often expect only positive experiences and moods from
drugs and do not anticipate individual reactions and consequences.

With newer drugs such as GHB, which was first seized by London police
in 1998, the information circulating about the drug is often wrong,
Whitehead said.

"There's a sharing of ignorance, of beliefs and even superstitions,
rather than a sharing of valuable information."

The seven young adults who mixed alcohol and GHB were lucky because
they were in a public place when they collapsed and received quick
medical attention, said Sibley-Bower. She is worried next time people
won't be so fortunate.

All individuals involved in this weekend's incident have been
released from hospital. Police said the possibility of charges has
not been ruled out as police continue their investigation.