Thursday, October 4, 2007 at 1:01am
'Club drugs' gone wild
Column: My Day
A couple of girlfriends are in town for a convention. After dinner, you decide to hang out at that new club for a nightcap. Just like we used to do, Girl, remembering bar-hopping days. Or, you are out of town at a convention. You are restless and need to "wind down." The bell captain recommends a nightclub and hails a cab for you. Let's say, you are not especially looking for anyone, anything ... just a good night out on the town, some jazz, a dab of country or down-home blues, and you will be safely back home by 2 a.m. Good, clean fun.
Know, before you go, that the club scene has changed. There are a few new players at the clubs these days. Club drugs, or "date rape" drugs, no longer have college or teenagers associated with them. They have moved "uptown" to the Christian conferences, corporate sales meetings, and baby-boomer playgrounds. They come to the dinner parties, the open bar and the semi-formal annual awards programs. They crash the country clubs, bingo and art galleries. These new players have nicknames. They are called "liquid ecstasy," "Georgia Home Boy," "Special K," peddled by "Mr. Tall, Tan & Terrific" and/or "Ms. 38-24-44." The well-dressed mistress or master blends in and does some namedropping, quotes scripture, has the football scores and is familiar with designer suits. The approach is innocent, classic and working. These street names of drugs and their "business owners" can turn a pleasant night out into a nightmare, regardless of who you are with, where you are or what time it is.
GHB is short for Gamma-hydroxybutyrate, MDMA (Ecstasy), Katamine (Special K, Vitamin K), Rohynol (roofies), and Methamphetamine (Speed, Crank, Meth). (Where do they get these names??) GHB is hard to detect. The taste is easily masked by most drinks. Know for sure that the effects are magnified when mixed with alcohol or other drugs, prescribed or illegal. Like alcohol, GHB is a depressant. Even in low doses, it reduces inhibitions and causes amnesia. GHB and a host of other drugs, when slipped into an alcoholic drink, juice or soft drink makes the victim helpless against sexual or other assault, i.e., blackmail, robbery or becoming a new "adult" star (polite for pornography).
Back to the night out with the girls ... or the boys. You are asked to dance, and the music is speaking to your groove. Oh, yea, he can dance. Can I buy you a drink? Sure. And you move away from your safety net over to the lustrous, plush media room with the conversational décor. A little talking won't hurt. And while a "stranger" goes to get your drink, you continue to admire the view and relax. Wrong! Wrong!!
Health professionals attest to the fact that if you go to the emergency room, doctors have no idea what they are dealing with, because there is no simple test for the GHB families. So, to be safe, for openers never accept any drink from a stranger. The rest is simple, old-fashioned common sense.
Discuss this article with a young person, a traveler, a socialite, and all trusting optimists. It could save a life.
— — —
Ester Davis is a writer and television producer. She can be reached at {email host@esterdavis.com}host@esterdavis.com{/email}. Copyright 2007 by Ester Davis.
Know, before you go, that the club scene has changed. There are a few new players at the clubs these days. Club drugs, or "date rape" drugs, no longer have college or teenagers associated with them. They have moved "uptown" to the Christian conferences, corporate sales meetings, and baby-boomer playgrounds. They come to the dinner parties, the open bar and the semi-formal annual awards programs. They crash the country clubs, bingo and art galleries. These new players have nicknames. They are called "liquid ecstasy," "Georgia Home Boy," "Special K," peddled by "Mr. Tall, Tan & Terrific" and/or "Ms. 38-24-44." The well-dressed mistress or master blends in and does some namedropping, quotes scripture, has the football scores and is familiar with designer suits. The approach is innocent, classic and working. These street names of drugs and their "business owners" can turn a pleasant night out into a nightmare, regardless of who you are with, where you are or what time it is.
GHB is short for Gamma-hydroxybutyrate, MDMA (Ecstasy), Katamine (Special K, Vitamin K), Rohynol (roofies), and Methamphetamine (Speed, Crank, Meth). (Where do they get these names??) GHB is hard to detect. The taste is easily masked by most drinks. Know for sure that the effects are magnified when mixed with alcohol or other drugs, prescribed or illegal. Like alcohol, GHB is a depressant. Even in low doses, it reduces inhibitions and causes amnesia. GHB and a host of other drugs, when slipped into an alcoholic drink, juice or soft drink makes the victim helpless against sexual or other assault, i.e., blackmail, robbery or becoming a new "adult" star (polite for pornography).
Back to the night out with the girls ... or the boys. You are asked to dance, and the music is speaking to your groove. Oh, yea, he can dance. Can I buy you a drink? Sure. And you move away from your safety net over to the lustrous, plush media room with the conversational décor. A little talking won't hurt. And while a "stranger" goes to get your drink, you continue to admire the view and relax. Wrong! Wrong!!
Health professionals attest to the fact that if you go to the emergency room, doctors have no idea what they are dealing with, because there is no simple test for the GHB families. So, to be safe, for openers never accept any drink from a stranger. The rest is simple, old-fashioned common sense.
Discuss this article with a young person, a traveler, a socialite, and all trusting optimists. It could save a life.
— — —
Ester Davis is a writer and television producer. She can be reached at {email host@esterdavis.com}host@esterdavis.com{/email}. Copyright 2007 by Ester Davis.