Abuse Potential and Intoxication with GHB

Abstract

Factors that seem to contribute to the abuse potential of GHB include its intoxicating effects, its purported anabolic effects, its hypnotic effects, and its ability to incapacitate women for purposes of sexual assault [78, 79]. One of the main reasons GHB became a popular drug of abuse is its ability to produce a “high” [59, 80]. Those who take GHB describe it as producing a state of relaxation and tranquility accompanied by feelings of calmness, mild euphoria, a tendency to verbalize, mild numbing, and pleasant disinhibition. Despite these positive feelings attributed to the use of GHB, the dose-response curve for GHB has been described as being remarkably steep. Therefore, as the dose of GHB is increased, a steep increase in adverse effects may occur [81]. The effects of GHB have been described as being similar to those of alcohol, and the two agents may act synergistically, further increasing the risk for intoxication or overdose [82].