Fears over lethal drug cocktail as clubbers seek fresh thrills

Published on Monday 16 April 2007 12:16

EDINBURGH clubbers are mixing date rape drugs and horse tranquillisers as part of a lethal new craze, experts warned today.

Seizures of GHB and ketamine, which were once relatively unheard of, are said to be on the increase in city nightclubs.

They have become particularly fashionable with people in their early 30s looking for a new experience.

It is feared they will most commonly be used in combination with other drugs, such as cocaine and ecstasy, and they are even more dangerous when alcohol has been taken - GHB could even prove deadly.

John Arthur, manager of Crew 2000, which goes out to clubs and offers support and advice to users, said: "There has been an increase in recreational use of GHB of late, which will lead to problematic use. More people are coming forward for treatment. When we go out into the night scene people are asking about it on a weekly basis - it used to be only once a month.

"Some people say they are becoming addicted and need it all the time, others are concerned about friends who may be using it. What we are seeing is that this kind of drug use is no longer a deviant activity, it is becoming mainstream."

Tom Wood, chairman of Edinburgh Drugs and Alcohol Action Team, added: "There's been an increase in GHB and ketamine as well. We are rightly focused on hard drugs like heroin and cocaine, but these other drugs are coming into fashion and they also have their own dangers.

"Both tend to be used on the club scene and they can be lethal when mixed with other substances."

He hit out at clubbers who were providing a market for the drugs. "What kind of fool are you if you put something in your mouth that has been given to you in a dark corridor, by a stranger, who is committing a criminal act?"

GHB is more commonly known as a date rape drug because it paralyses users, rendering them almost helpless and vulnerable to attacks.

However, lesser amounts give people a sense of euphoria which can last for a day, which is why it is used recreationally.

As well as leaving women vulnerable to attacks, higher doses of GHB can cause nausea, vomiting, muscle stiffness and confusion. Very high doses can lead to convulsions, coma and respiratory collapse.

Ketamine is a horse tranquilliser as well as a powerful hallucinogenic. Because it is a sedative it also has a paralysing affect. It has been linked to brain damage - although this has never been proven - and it is certainly more dangerous when mixed with other drugs or alcohol.

Mr Wood said: "GHB can cause sickness, muscle stiffness and fits. It is very, very dangerous and can be fatal when mixed with alcohol and other drugs. The long-term affects are not yet known."

A lesser-known variation of GHB, called GBL, has also been spotted in Edinburgh's night scene. It was once believed to be a growth hormone, and was sold over the counter in US health food stores in the 1980s, but it turns into GHB in the body and has the same effect as its better-known sister drug.

A Lothian and Borders police spokeswoman told the Evening News: "Our drugs liaison officers work in partnership with a number of city agencies and have been told anecdotally about a rise in both GHB and GBL.

"Taking recreational drugs is not a good idea, they affect different people in different ways and can be extremely dangerous."

DATE RAPE DRUG CAN PROVE A KILLER

DATE rape drug GHB's deadly effects have already hit the headlines.

In August 2005 Mark Lewis, 27, died at a party in Pontypridd, South Wales, after taking a cocktail of drink and drugs, including GHB, cocaine, Diazepam and Prozac.

He fell asleep on the couch and guests saw him pulling faces before he stopped breathing. Paramedics were unable to resuscitate him.

Last month university student Zoe Read, 22, died after taking a swig of what she thought was water from a clear bottle at a party in Victoria, Canada.

The student was at a party where cocaine, alcohol and small amounts of GHB were being consumed, police said.