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GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) was first synthesized in France over forty years ago for use as a possible anesthetic, but due to its undesirable side effects, it was soon rejected by the medical community in America. GHB resurfaced in 1987, as it was being researched for the treatment of a combination of sleep disorders known as narcolepsy/cataplexy. At about this same time, steroid users were told that GHB could possibly enhance the body's production of growth hormone, as the drug produced a deep sleep state; apparently this state of slumber was too deep, when after a growing number of reported overdoses, it was ordered off the shelves of stores in the United States in 1990. GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) is produced naturally in the human body in very small amounts and it has been characterized as a drug that is a central nervous system depressant. In its liquid form, GHB is clear like water and has no detectable smell. GHB is usually sold as a liquid in small vials, but it is also commonly made to be available as a white powder or capsule. In recent years, GHB has gained popularity as a "club drug" among young people because of its euphoric and sedative effects.

The side effects of GHB use may include nausea and vomiting, delusions, depression, hallucinations, seizures, difficulty breathing, slowed heart rate, low blood pressure, amnesia, and even coma. GHB is a potent sedative, that can cause the user to fall into a deep coma-like sleep from which they might not be aroused for several hours; during this period, the individual under the influence of this drug could vomit and choke to death in their sleep. When in a GHB induced sleep, convulsions have been commonly reported to occur, causing the user to be brought to the hospital for intense emergency care. With GHB use, there is only a slight difference between a dose that produces the desired effects, and a dose that puts the user at risk; if an user has just a little too much GHB, the consequences can be fatal.

When GHB is taken as a recreational drug, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, this drug has proven to be extremely dangerous. GHB has also been reported to cause deadly interactions with some medications, such as protease inhibitors that are prescribed for the treatment of HIV. Driving or operating machinery while under the influence of GHB increases the risk of physical injury to the user, and to others, as well. Since GHB is illegal, there are no controls over the strength and purity of the drug as it is being produced; what is being sold as GHB can contain unknown drugs or other fillers, which may be toxic. Unfortunately, in the United States GHB has gained a popular status as a recreational drug and the use of the drug has become dangerously common; because GHB is tasteless and virtually undetectable when it is combined with liquid beverages, it is commonly used as a "date rape" drug.

The signs of GHB use can include intoxication, muscle relaxation, loss of coordination due to weak muscle tone, loss of gag reflex, nausea, and difficulty concentrating; other symptoms of this drug can include giddiness, rambling and incoherent speech, sedation and an increased desire to go to sleep.