South West Healthcare, Warrnambool police respond to increase in GHB use across region

SWH executive director nursing and midwifery Sue Anderton said the health service had seen an increase in the number of people presenting to the emergency department having overdosed, or needing assistance with GHB withdrawals.

"All patients have been under 40 and have either overdosed as new users unaware of dosage effects or are needing assistance with withdrawals as on-going users," she said.

GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate), otherwise known as "juice", is a depressant drug, which means it slows down messages travelling between the brain and body.

The Standard recently reported a rise in the use of GHB, which is a clear, odourless party drug that can melt plastic and put users in a coma within minutes.

Ms Anderton said the drug was a concern in the community because it was "highly addictive" with patients developing a tolerance quickly and then requiring larger doses to achieve a high.

She said GHB was one of the most "horrific" drugs to manage with respect to withdrawals with people experiencing anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure, seizures and psychosis, among other symptoms.

"Half a millilitre of this drug can make a huge impact on a person, leaving little room for error with respect to overdose," she said.

WRAD Health acting chief executive officer Mark Powell has also reported an increase in numbers presenting for assistance with GHB use.

About 145ml of GHB was seized by police after a stolen car was pulled over at Bolwarra on Monday, August 28.

The drug was split across four vials and there was enough for nearly 30 hits.

Warrnambool police Superintendent Mel Webbers said while GHB was damaging enough, users were also inadvertently consuming 1,4-bute - an industrial solvent used in the production of plastics.

'Bute' is turned into GHB by the liver, but it's processed more slowly so Superintendent Webbers said users were at risk of overdosing because they were likely to take a second or third dose

There are concerns drug users are being told they're buying and consuming a party drug, not a chemical that slows breathing, suppresses heart function and in some cases can lead to unconsciousness or death.

"The drug can be unpredictable," Superintendent Webbers said.

"The difference between survival and a fatal overdose can be very small. There is absolutely no safe amount to ingest."

The police boss said drugs were manufactured by criminals with absolutely no regard for the safety of the people who took them.

"We are focused on holding these criminals to account and disrupting and preventing their negative impact on our community," she said.

"We know that drug use is a contributing factor to crimes within our community such as drug-fuelled assaults, family violence, thefts to support an addiction and deaths on our roads due to impaired drivers."

The superintendent said Victoria Police had zero-tolerance for drug traffickers of any kind.

"Especially those who prey on the vulnerable and deal drugs which cause the most damage in our communities," she said.

"A strong focus of local detectives is targeting local drug related crime - particularly those trafficking and manufacturing illicit substances.

"We also work closely with our counterparts in crime command, including Victoria Police's major drug squad, clandestine laboratory squad and the Melbourne-based Joint Organised Crime Task Force (JOCTF) led by the (Australian Federal Police)."

Anyone with information around drug related crime is urged to report the matter to police or contact Crime Stopper anonymously on 1800 333 000.

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