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Club Drugs: GHB, an Anabolic Steroid

Anabolic steroids, one type of club drugs being used by young people, are gaining in popularity because of their euphoric, sedative, and bodybuilding effects. Despite research that has shown a decrease in most drug use—including crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and cigarette smoking—the 1999 Monitoring the Future survey found a significant increase in the use of anabolic steroids among 8th and 10th graders, primarily boys (NIDA, Monitoring the Future, 1999.)

Anabolic steroids are synthetic derivatives of the male hormone testosterone, which promotes skeletal muscle growth. The most popular anabolic steroid among young people is GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate). GHB used to be widely available for medical purposes. The illicit use of GHB rose to such levels that the 106th Congress called the drug “an imminent hazard to the public safety.”  Congress amended the Controlled Substances Act in January 2000 to a national awareness campaign, led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the attorney general, targeting GHB’s use and effects. (NCADI, accessed 7/12/2000.)

What Is GHB?

GHB is a central nervous system depressant once used by many bodybuilders and athletes. In the 1980s, GHB was widely available over the counter in health food stores, and bodybuilders used it to lose fat and build muscle. GHB has been given nicknames such as Grievous Bodily Harm, G, Liquid Ecstasy, and Georgia Home Boy.

In 1990, the Food and Drug Administration banned the use of GHB except under the supervision of a physician because of reports of severe side effects, including euphoric and sedative effects similar to the effects experienced after taking Rohypnol (the “date rape” drug.) GHB also has been associated with sexual assaults in cities throughout the United States (NIDA, Infofax.)  Despite the ban on use, GHB is created in clandestine laboratories, in a variety of forms, including clear liquid, white powder and tablet. Increasing use rates are being reported. In 1998, the Denver Poison Control Center received 33 calls involving GHB, and almost half of these cases were considered life-threatening. (NIDA Infofax-Club Drugs, 2000.) Because it clears from the body relatively quickly, it is often difficult to detect when patients go to emergency rooms and other treatment facilities.

What Are the Side Effects of GHB?

Like most steroids, GHB can cause high blood pressure, wide mood swings, liver tumors, and violent behavior. The drug’s effects typically last up to 4 hours, depending on the dosage. At lower doses, it can relieve anxiety and promote relaxation; at higher doses, the sedative effects may result in sleep, coma, or death. Other side effects include sweating, headache, decreased heart rate, nausea, vomiting, impaired breathing, loss of reflexes, and tremors.

For more information about GHB and other club drugs, contact SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at http://ncadi.samhsa.gov.

Sources

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI): Date-Rape Drug Prohibition Act of 2000, http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/pubs/Party/daterape.aspx, accessed July 2000.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Club Drugs Home. www.clubdrugs.org, accessed July 2000.

NIDA, Community Epidemiology Work Group Proceedings, June 1999.

NIDA, NIDA Notes, vol. 15, no. 1, July 2000.

NIDA, Infofax-Rohypnol and GHB, http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofax/RohypnolGHB.aspx, accessed July 2000.

NIDA, Monitoring the Future Survey, 1999.

NIDA, Club Drugs Take Center Stage in New National Education and Prevention Initiative by NIDA and National Partners: Initiative Includes Research Funding and Community Outreach, http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/pressreul/dec99/5.aspx, accessed July 2000.

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