In a striking revelation, deaths associated with a well-known party drug have surged tenfold in Australia, according to a recent study. This alarming trend has prompted a major hospital to caution that incidents of overdose are becoming increasingly frequent.

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate, or GHB, often referred to as “liquid ecstasy,” is popular for its euphoric effects and the sense of freedom it induces at low doses. Yet, the drug’s dangerous reputation stems from the fine line between a dose that delivers the desired euphoria and one that leads to an overdose.

The study, spearheaded by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at the University of New South Wales, highlights a tenfold increase in GHB-related deaths since 2013. Simultaneously, hospitalizations linked to the drug have tripled over the same period.

Researchers conducted an in-depth analysis using coronial records, hospital data, treatment services, population surveys, and interviews with drug users. Their findings point to a significant rise in GHB-associated deaths, escalating from 0.02 per 100,000 individuals in 2013 to 0.24 per 100,000 in 2022.

The study underscores the urgent need for increased awareness and preventive measures as the country grapples with the growing impact of this hazardous substance.

It found there was a statistically significant increase in GHB-related deaths from 0.02 per 100,000 people in 2013 to 0.24 per 100,000 people in 2022.

‘These number are a cause for alarm’

Researchers found GHB-related hospitalisations increased from 5.3 to 19.1 cases per 100,000 people, while treatment episodes increased tenfold, straining hospital and ambulance resources.

“GHB is a drug that carries quite a high risk of overdose and other harms,” senior author of the study, NDARC deputy director Amy Peacock, told AAP.

“Those harms are rising and they are preventable.”

“These numbers are a cause for alarm. Without targeted action, the situation will only worsen, and more people will be harmed,” she warned.

St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne’s emergency medicine director, Dr Jonathan Karro, said GHB-related presentations at the emergency department had spiked in recent years.

“It’s now a daily occurrence,” Karro told AAP.

“The spread of patients is much wider now too, with patients of all ages and backgrounds presenting at odd times.”

Karro said the substance poses unique challenges to clinicians because there is no antidote and patients are often unconscious.

Call for better health messaging

Users are increasingly purchasing the substance by the litre, given its affordability at about $5 per dose, he added.

Although overall use remains low, national survey data suggests the share of Australians who have used it in the past year tripled over the decade.

Peacock called for urgent improvements in health messaging related to GHB, focusing on the risks posed by repeat dosing and drug mixing.

“Repeated dosing can quickly lead to overdose because GHB builds up in the body faster than people realise,” Dr Peacock said.

“And using it with alcohol, ketamine, or other depressants greatly increases the risk of respiratory depression and loss of consciousness.”

Illegal imports on the rise

The study suggested increasing availability was behind the spike in GHB-related hospitalisations, with illegal imports on the rise.

In May, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) warned of a “tidal wave” of illegal importation of 1,4-Butanediol, the precursor to GHB.

The AFP seized more than 18.3 tonnes of the substance in the 12 months leading to March, more than any other drug.

“Our message to the community remains clear — there is no safe dose of this drug,” AFP acting assistant commissioner Paula Hudson said at the time.

“By importing this substance into Australia, criminal networks are creating a demand and appetite for this illicit drug and the bigger the appetite, the bigger the profits.”

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