Board makes ‘date rape’ drug illegal

Thursday, Dec. 4, 1997 | 10:59 a.m.

RENO -- The state Board of Pharmacy Wednesday adopted an emergency regulation to ban the possession and manufacture of a so-called "date rape" drug used to knock a person unconscious.

The action came after hearing testimony from law enforcement officials that the substance, gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB), is showing up in Las Vegas nightclubs or parties where young people gather.

"It's dumped in a drink and nobody knows what's happening," said Keith Macdonald, executive director of the pharmacy board. "People wake up bruised and abused."

It doesn't always knock a person out but they may only be half conscious, he said. "And it can kill people," because there is no level on how much should be administered to maintain its safety.

The 1997 Legislature, at the request of Sen. Mark James, R-Las Vegas, passed a law to make it illegal to administer the drug to another person with the intent to commit a violent crime.

The action by the pharmacy tightens the law. By including GHB in the list of controlled substances such as cocaine, it will now be illegal to possess, distribute and manufacture the drug.

The board will continue hearings to make the regulation permanent at a later date.

In one case, the board was told a bartender put GHB in a woman's drink. But there was no way to prove it, and at that time, there was nothing illegal about possessing the drug.

"The reaction is bad," Macdonald said. "It sometimes burns a person's throat. It's made of alkaline. People generally pass out. There have been numerous victims."

It is a clear liquid and has a salty taste that can be disguised in some drinks, Macdonald said.

The James bill said a person who administered the controlled substance could be punished by a prison term up to 20 years.