A Rotterdam addiction clinic has reported two of its patients to the police for dealing the party drug GHB to other patients at the clinic. Two patients at the Bouwman Clinic who had taken the drug fell into a coma and had to be admitted to hospital to recover. The public prosecutor's office is also to investigate whether GHB was involved in the recent death of a patient at the clinic.

The chairman of the clinic’s board, Sjef Czyzewski, told de Volkskrant newspaper that young people underestimate the dangers of the party drug. He accuses public service broadcaster BNN of adding to the problem by playing down the risks of GHB in a youth-oriented programme on sex and drugs.
 

Squirting and swallowing
The TV programme in question is called Spuiten en slikken – the title literally means ‘shooting and swallowing’, a play on words with both sexual and drug-related connotations. As well as discussions with celebrities on drugs and sex, it features graphic demonstrations of sexual positions, and presenters trying out different drugs on camera.
 

In a report the programme showed presenter Filemon Wesselink trying the drug GHB and visiting a nightclub. The item prominently featured warnings about the dangers of the drug, and the presenter did not give a positive impression of his experience. Nevertheless, Mr Czyzewski said it was irresponsible to show someone taking the dangerous substance on camera. Although he praises the programme for its ability to connect with its young audience, he said it was wrong to send a message that it was acceptable to experiment with any drug.
 

The makers of the BNN programme responded that they aimed to provide as much information to young people as possible. They say lecturing young people on the dangers of drugs can have a counterproductive effect.

Addiction
Users take the depressant drug GHB, gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid, because it can produce euphoria and heighten sexual arousal. However, only a small overdose of the drug can result in the user falling into coma. The Trimbos Institute – the Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction – also recently warned that many users seriously underestimate the life-threatening risk of GHB. The institute says the number of cases of addiction to the drug is growing. Moreover, if an addict stops using the drug suddenly and without medical supervision, they can experience delirium or epileptic fits.