GHB is considered an incredibly dangerous drug. The FDA restricted the use of GHB in 1990 to only be available for those with medical prescriptions for it. However, the United States government now considers GHB to be a Schedule I drug, meaning it is considered highly abused with no accepted medical purpose.

Due to the strength of the chemicals used, GHB can often result in chemical burns inside the mouth or throat of someone when the drug is not properly diluted. Because GHB is most commonly produced illegally with no oversight, batches of GHB can vary widely in both strength and purity. This makes the drug especially dangerous as users often do not fully what they are ingesting.

GHB can lead to confusion and disorientation, making it difficult to function. As GHB is considered a “party drug” and taken in large groups, people make themselves incredibly vulnerable when taking GHB. Two-thirds of people who experiment with GHB claim to have had a serious negative effect from the drug. This could include addiction, hospitalization, or a loss of consciousness.
Mixing GHB with other depressants such as alcohol or opioids like heroin or oxycontin can cause potentially dangerous effects on the body. Coma or complete loss of consciousness can be common when mixing GHB with other drugs.

GHB’s ability to cause memory loss and loss of consciousness has caused it to be commonly used as a “date rape” drug. People can slip the tasteless and odorless drug into someone’s drink to overpower them during sexual assault or rape. The victims can experience complete amnesia over the events as well. According to a survey of 5000 people who claimed to have taken GHB, over 1,250 had been assaulted.