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March 2 —Fifteen-year-old Samantha Reid was just hanging out with friends at a party when she asked for a Mountain Dew. What she got was a dose of a lethal substance, slipped into her soda, leaving her comatose, and by morning, dead.
Reid’s tragic death on January 17, 1999 has heightened awareness of a drug called Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and recently led to a federal decision making it an illegal substance. Now, as the trial of the four men involved is underway, questions remain about the potentially lethal drug and how dangerously easy it may be to target unsuspecting victims.
What is GHB?
“It’s the sneakiest drug on Earth,” says Trinka Porrata, a former narcotics cop in the Los Angeles Police Department and a GHB expert. Known as goop, Liquid Ecstasy, Liquid G and Gamma 10, GHB is a central nervous system depressant that can cause drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, unconsciousness, convulsions, numbness, suppressed breathing, slurred speech, blurred vision and coma. Colorless and odorless, GHB is used as an intoxicant, primarily by teenagers and young adults, and has gained notoriety for its use in date rape.
According to a police-recorded statement played for jurors Tuesday, 19-year-old Joshua Cole said he spiked Reid’s and two other girl’s drinks to make them more talkative and “liven up” the party. Reid’s friend Melanie became comatose and then recovered; the third girl was not sickened. Three other men also face charges.
At first considered safe and natural by health enthusiasts, GHB was popularized in the 80s by body builders who used it as a muscle growth stimulant. It was also touted as an antidepressant, sleep aid, nutritional supplement and sexual enhancer. By 1990, reports of overdoses and use of the drug in date rape attacks had alerted authorities, and the FDA declared GHB unsafe. Since 1990, there have been 58 documented deaths related to use of GHB and more than 5,700 overdoses, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
The ease with which GHB can be bought on the Internet, the substance’s distinct traits and the lack of awareness about its potentially fatal consequences make its illicit use a particularly ruthless phenomenon.
“This is different than what we deal with with most drugs,” says Porrata. “There is no predictability as to what it’s going to do.”
Not Entirely in Vain
“People are starting to get the message that this is dangerous and a very complex drug,” says Jodi Cohen, a Detroit News reporter who has been covering this story since the tragedy occurred. Cohen, who has spent time with Reid’s family and interviewed many of her classmates, says that the untimely death of a healthy teenager has promoted awareness about GHB, not only at the small-town high school, but also nationwide.
Just two weeks ago, President Clinton signed a bill called the Hillory J. Farias and Samantha Reid Date-Rape Drug Prohibition Act of 200. Named after Reid and a 17-year-old girl who died after drinking a soda laced with GHB, the law makes it a federal crime to possess, manufacture or distribute GHB, with up to 20 years jail time. Also, it requires the federal government to launch a nationwide public awareness campaign about GHB.
Prior to passage of this bill, GHB was illegal in only about half the states, leaving the possibility for state to state sales of GHB through the Internet. Optimistic about the impact of new legislation, Porrata says, “You’re going to start seeing a lot more law enforcement education in a more systematic way.”
Currently in the United States, there are no approved medical uses for GHB, but there are clinical trials to test its effectiveness in treating narcolepsy, a sleep disorder.
What You Should Know