What It Is: GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) is a depressant. It's usually available as a clear liquid. It is known as a designer drug because it is made (usually in home basement labs) for the purposes of getting high. Like Ecstasy, GHB is popular with club-goers and those who go to "rave" parties, including teens and young adults. When mixed with alcohol, it has a depressant effect that can cause someone to black out. This is why GHB is often called the date rape drug. Sometimes Called: Liquid Ecstasy, G, Georgia homeboy, cups How It's Used: Swallowed (in liquid or powder form, which is mixed with water, or as tablets) What It Does: GHB causes both a euphoric high (intense rush of happy feelings) and hallucinations. GHB has caused many young people to need emergency medical care. Because the liquid is odorless and colorless, it's sometimes slipped unknowingly into a person's drink. Side effects of GHB use include drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and vision changes. People who take GHB may become unconscious (pass out), stop breathing, and go into a coma. GHB use can kill. Because both GHB and alcohol are depressants, mixing the two is very, very dangerous and can be deadly — even if someone has only taken low doses of the drug. Because of its serious effects, GHB has led to emergency medical care for many young people and has killed more users than the drug Ecstasy. Back to Articles Related Articles Drugs: What Parents Need to Know Knowing what drugs are out there, what they can do, and how they can affect someone is the first step in raising drug-free kids. Read More What You Need to Know About Drugs Drugs are chemicals that change the way a person's body works. Some drugs help you feel better, but drugs also can harm you. Learn more in this article for kids. Read More Ecstasy: What Parents Need to Know Ecstasy is a dangerous illegal drug that can cause hallucinations and even death. Read More Talking to Your Child About Drugs Just as you inoculate your kids against illnesses like measles, you can help "immunize" them against drug use by giving them the facts now. Read More Date Rape About half of people who have been raped know the person who attacked them. This article explains what date rape is, how to protect yourself, and what to do if you've been raped. Read More Drugs: What to Know It's not hard to find drugs, and sometimes it may seem like everyone's doing them or wanting you to do them. But there are downsides (and dangers) to taking drugs. Read More Dealing With Peer Pressure Did you ever feel like another kid was trying to get you to do something you didn't want to do? If so, you've felt peer pressure. Find out more in this article for kids. Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.