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GHB47assault to the police. In addition, the victim is often not evenaware that the drug was ingested.GHB, GBL, and BD (GHB analogues) are used as daterape drugs for the following reasons:• They are colorless and odorless in liquid, and can easilybe added to a person’s drink without his or her knowledge.Although the drugs have a slightly salty taste, onceblended with an alcoholic drink, the taste becomesextremely difficult to detect.• They have effects that are greatly enhanced when mixedwith alcohol, making the victim vulnerable to sexualassault even after one drink.• They increase sexual drive and reduce inhibitions.•They cause impaired judgment and decision-makingabout sexual activity.• They can cause the user to “pass out,” making him or herunable to consent to or ward off sexual advances.• They produce amnesia, so the victim may not even recallthat a sexual assault has taken place and may not immediatelygo to the police.GHB ANALOGUESAfter GHB was banned by the FDA in 1990 for over-thecounteruse, GHB chemists tried to circumvent the ban bydeveloping closely related chemicals called gamma butyrolactone(GBL) and 1,4-butanediol (BD). The chemical structures ofGHB, GBL, and BD are shown in Figure 4.1. When GBL or BDis ingested, it is rapidly converted by the body to form GHB,and the effects become identical to that of taking regular GHB.Due to the 1990 FDA ban, manufacturers of nutritionalsupplements previously selling GHB quickly reformulatedtheir product so it contained GBL and/or BD instead of the