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Why do you say GHB isn't lethal?
Q: I think you might need to update some of stuff concerning ghb, at least the part that says its never known to be lethal. The site: http://ashesonthesea.com/ghb/ and also the new law / bill (H.R. 2130) that the president signed outlawing ghb after the Samanthan Reid date-rape incident say that GHB can kill.

A: As far as I know, this site has never implied that GHB use can not lead to life threatening situations. Earlier articles may have indicated that GHB *alone* doesn't cause fatal respiratory depression (like alcohol, barbituates, and other depressants), but there is mounting evidence that GHB, lactone, or 14b alone, at very high doses (8-10 times or more of a mild dose), can cause possibly fatal reactions. The evidence for this is still tentative, despite media claims to the contrary.



The main physical danger is the danger of overdosing, vomiting, and choking on your own vomit or breathing (aspirating) it into your lungs. Combining GHB with any other CNS depressant such as alcohol or barbiturates will amplify these effects and may stop breathing entirely. Virtually all CNS depressants (including GHB) supress breathing and this affect increases with dose. If you drink 10 times your recreational dose of alcohol, you can easily die.



GHB is not a wonder drug, it has its dangers and side effects, as with any drug. But nor do I think it is some monsterous and dangerous drug, unless it is misused (again, as with most drugs). If you are going to ingest mind altering substance, or even any substance that can have a biochemical effect on you, you should do so responsibly, and with full knowledge of the effects and dangers.



earth: I agree that everyone who uses GHB should take the time to read Trinka Porrata's site that you mention and the tragedy stories she has there. Although GHB deaths are far less common than the media potrays, virtually all substance related deaths are the result of uninformed people making bad choices. If you find any pieces on erowid that you think misrepresent the current knowledge about GHB, please let us know with exact URLs, quoting the passages you think are wrong.



Also, I think its important to point out that Samantha Reid was not raped nor did she unknowingly ingest GHB. According to the testimony of her female friend (who also passed out that evening) and the testimony at trial of the guys who were with her that night, Samantha requested an alcohol drink, was given a drink with *way* too much lactone (not GHB) in it, knew it tasted bad (lactone makes any drink taste like car tires), and chose to drink the entire glass anyway. What happened was tragic and terrible and the guy who poured the lactone into the drink should never have given it to her without knowing exactly what he was doing. She should never have drunk the drink without knowing what exactly she was drinking. It was an accident caused by ignorance and recklessness. It was not a 'date rape' or anything of the kind. It wasn't even GHB. Don't take your drug information from law makers, it seems that they either don't know or don't care that they write total falsehoods into law.



Thanks and be careful,



-psilo-

&

earth

Asked By : windey
Answered By : psilo
Published Date : 4 / 14 / 2000
Last Edited Date : 4 / 14 / 2000
Question ID : 155

Categories: [ GHB ]



Ask Erowid v1.7 - Jul, 2005

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