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4GHBCOMMON STREET NAMESG, Gamma-G, Georgia Home Boy, Grievous Bodily Harm, Salty Water,Scoop, Soap, Goop, Liquid X/Ecstasy (not to be confused with thereal Ecstasy—see Chapter 3).HISTORY AND LEGAL STATUSGHB, short for its chemical name gamma hydroxybutyrate, is apotent sedative and a depressant of the central nervous system. GHBwas first synthesized in the 1920s, although it was not specificallydesigned to mimic another existing drug. In the 1960s, GHB wasdeveloped for possible use as an anesthetic. However, the makers ofGHB later withdrew it from consideration for approval by the U.S.FDA because of severe side effects reported by patients.Despite these early warning signs of the potential dangers ofGHB, several nutritional supplement companies started promotingGHB in the 1980s as a way for bodybuilders to stimulate theproduction of growth hormones, enhance muscle mass, and reducebody fat. However, scientific studies have yet to prove that GHBcan indeed increase muscle mass or assist in weight loss. GHB couldeasily be found in bulk quantities in many health food stores duringthis time and was also promoted as a way to ease anxiety anddepression because of its potent sedative properties.However, many reports of severe side effects and overdosesbecame evident, and in 1990, the FDA declared GHB to be unsafe forover-the-counter use and restricted its use to physician-supervisedadministration. Because of the FDA ban on GHB, street chemists42