The Borough of Lambeth is one of the largest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities within the Metropolitan area, with 16 major venues including pubs, saunas and clubs. It's also the home of some of London’s most popular club nights, particularly in the Vauxhall area. Over the past year, a recreational drug problem in relation to GHB/GHL (Gamma Hydroxybutyrate) use has emerged. This has led Terrence Higgins Trust and Lambeth Police to launch a GHB awareness initiative in the borough.

GHB/GBL is often sold as a liquid. The level at which people respond to GHB varies, and therefore overdosing is relatively easy. Overdosing can cause seizures or unconsciousness, resulting in the need for hospitalisation. Mixing GHB/GHL with alcohol or other depressants can be extremely dangerous and has caused deaths from respiratory failure.

Lambeth Police LGBT Liaison Officers and a THT outreach worker will be conducting two outreach sessions per month at LGBT venues within Lambeth, delivering information and advice on GHB usage, beginning with Action at the Renaissance Rooms on Saturday 17th July.

Glyn Thomas, Senior Project Manager at Terrence Higgins Trust said: “It’s great that we can work with the Police on this issue. From our different perspectives, we can use our combined skills to educate gay men about GHB use and cut down on the number of people ending up in hospital as a result of using the drug.”
PC Andy Hewlett, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Liaison Officer for Lambeth said: “Failure to response to this situation will ultimately see the closure of some of our best-loved clubs and venues. People need to know that the use of GHB within the clubbing environment is irresponsible and dangerous.”

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Notes to editors

• GHB is a class C drug.

• The ‘Club Together’ Initiative has also recently highlighted the problem with GHB usage. This project involved the cooperation and partnership working of many of London’s prominent gay venues to deliver a zero-tolerance message within the LGBT press.

• GHB is synthetically produced and has been described by some as liquid ecstasy, although it is not chemically related to ecstasy or any other recreational drug. In low doses it can seem to have an ecstasy like effect; with mild euphoria, increased confidence and loss of inhibitions. The effects usually last between one and a half to three hours.

• Slightly larger doses can lead to lead to a dramatic intensification of the effect; loss of coordination, giddiness, dizziness, vomiting and slurred speech.

• Higher doses will cause seizures or will knock the user out, inducing unrousable sleep for three to five hours, which if occurring in a public place will result in the need for hospitalisation. GHB is most dangerous if taken in high doses or mixed with alcohol, which will lead to unconsciousness and vomiting. Dosing is also problematic and is affected by the varying strength of available GHB/GHL.

• Deaths in the UK relating to GHB/GHL have been reported but numbers are few