Custody or release: problem GHB users in police cells, custody, and pre-trial detention

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate acid (GHB) is a potent depressant of the central nervous system which rapidly enters the bloodstream and produces its effects shortly after ingestion.1 Since the early 1990’s, GHB increasingly became popular as recreational drug, mainly as ‘club drug’, but GHB cannot be considered safe and reliable. After initial stimulation its use may lead to loss of consciousness. In addition, GHB retains a high addictive potential. First added to Schedule II (soft drugs) of the Opium Act by the Dutch authorities in October 2002, GHB was transferred in May 2012 to Schedule I (hard drugs). From March to July 2012, we conducted a study on encounters between problem GHB users and Dutch police. Our primary source of information consisted of interviews with 49 professionals (mostly police officials and doctors with relevant expertise) located throughout the Netherlands.