ACMD (UK) reviewing status of GBL and 1,4-b

[MrG]

http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/324026/461229/ACMD_DFSA_Report__FINAL___13.pdf

April 2007
Dear Home Secretary
In January 2006 your predecessor asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to look into the factors surrounding drug facilitated sexual assault. The Council has now done so and I am pleased to enclose its report.
The Council considers drug facilitated sexual assault, whether premeditated or opportunistic, to be a particularly disgusting offence. It makes a number of recommendations including:
1) A proposal for the ACMD to examine measures for restricting the availability of gamma butyrolactone (GBL) and 1, 4-butanediol.
2) A request that the Association of Chief Police Officers, in consultation with the Forensic Science Service, issue further advice to ensure appropriate body samples are collected from victims as soon as possible after an alleged attack.
3) A request that the Department of Health arranges for "early evidence kits", and appropriate advice on their use, to be made available in all Accident and Emergency Departments and Sexual Assault Referral Centres.
4) Further advice should be offered to young people about how to minimise the risks of drug facilitated sexual assault.
The Council will keep this matter under review and will make further reports as is appropriate.
---------------------------------------------------------------

What is most interesting is that, whilst the council is looking at possible ways to restrict the availability of GBL and 1,4-b, it's own report concludes:

5.3 The evidence suggests that the most common weapon used in drug facilitated sexual assault, whether proactive or opportunistic, is probably alcohol.

Restrictions on alcohol likely?

[Birkill]

What does this mean gbl might posibly be illegal in the uk soon?

[Pondlife]

Thanks for the heads-up MrG.

What does this mean gbl might posibly be illegal in the uk soon?

The highlighted line in MrG's post says it all really: ACMD are proposing to examine measures to restrict GBL and 1,4B in the UK. The report gives some more info; the relevant bit being:

6.2 Apart from alcohol, those substances most frequently implicated in drug facilitated sexual assault are already adequately controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Nevertheless, the Council is concerned at the continuing availability of gamma butyrolactone (GBL) and 1,4-butanediol (1,4-B) which are not controlled. It proposes to re-examine the use of these materials, and will provide the Home Secretary with further advice before the end of this year.

So the ACMD will provide a recommendation to the home office by the end of the year, and then the government will act on that or not as it sees fit.

[Birkill]

Cool!!!!

[MrG]

Umm I don't think he gets it pondy.

[fnord]

or something even scarier maybe he does?

[Mr_T]

After having a bit of a Google session I didn't have any luck finding an update on this, has any news of the report been released?

If they recommend that it is controlled, how quickly will it become illegal? Anybody recall what the situation was like when GHB became illegal??

Cheers,
T.

[Pondlife]

No, I've not seen anything since the proposal in April 2007. Note that this said that it would provide further advice to the Home Secretary "by the end of the year", so there probably won't be any info for a few months yet.

The official source will be the ACMD website at: http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/

In particular, it's worth keeping an eye on the "latest news" page at: http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-events/latest-news/

[Mr_T]

pondlife: thanks for the links )

[MrG]

Hey guess what, the ACMD annual report is full of shit!

http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/AnnualReport20062007__1_.pdf

Here is just one example of how, yet again, we are being fed crap by idiots in suits, this found as a footnote in the ACMD 2006/2007 Annual Report:

GBL is a colourless, odourless, virtually tasteless liquid.

Where's Waldo kids?

Oh there he is standing next to a load of bullshit that claims that GBL is odourless (has a definite lactone smell, what with it being like, duh, a lactone!) and, worst of all, claims it is virtually tasteless!!!! - I would be ROFL'ing if this wasn't dangerously fucking wrong information!

Still, at least the lazy ass suits at the "GBL Working Group" have proved they can maintain expected standards by completely failing to report the requested action plan by the end of 2007.

[Iggypoop]

HA!

That stuff tastes so bad, i've never been able to cover up that taste, EVER! Its sad to see that GBL is going the way of the dodo in the UK but then again i've seen people become hopelessly addicted to it and have fits ON it, god knows what its like coming off a serious habit. Its probably for the best, if you like it buy a liter now and keep it in storage, should be enough to last a lifetime!

[Lehendakari]

Is gbl use that common in the UK to bring attention from authorities?

Where I live gbl is almost unknown, some people know ghb but it is also very uncommon.

Could it be the USA wanting to rule EU drug policy?

[jonnyblades]

there will be ways and means around getting GBL when its made illegal. but how can they make it illegal asi ndusries heavily relie upon its use.

where theres a will.....

[Pondlife]

Originally Posted by jonnyblades

there will be ways and means around getting GBL when its made illegal. but how can they make it illegal asi ndusries heavily relie upon its use.

One way to prevent personal use would be to impose a minimum size for GBL transactions like the DEA did back in 2003:

Establishment of a Threshold for Gamma-Butyrolactone

AGENCY: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Justice.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: On October 24, 2001, DEA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking titled "Establishment of a Threshold for Gamma- Butyrolactone'' (66 FR 53746) that proposed a zero kilogram threshold and the exemption of transactions of 16,000 kilograms (net weight) or more in a single container. This final rule establishes a zero kilogram threshold for domestic, export, and import transactions of gamma- butyrolactone (GBL) and excludes from the definition of a "regulated transaction'' all transactions of 4,000 kilograms (net weight) or more in a single container. The DEA is reducing the weight required for exclusion from what was proposed in response to a comment that showed that transactions of 4,000 kilograms or more in a single container are not likely to be diverted.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This final rule is effective October 10, 2003.

So you can still buy GBL by the ton, but not by the litre, which doesn't affect the industrial uses but stops personal use quite effectively.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it is possible to regulate it.

[Iggypoop]

Originally Posted by Lehendakari

Is gbl use that common in the UK to bring attention from authorities?

Where I live gbl is almost unknown, some people know ghb but it is also very uncommon.

Could it be the USA wanting to rule EU drug policy?

I don't think its use is THAT popuar in the UK, the simple fact of the matter is that GHB samples being found in the UK by police are in fact GBL/1,4-b. GHB is also regarded widely here to be THE DATE RAPE DRUG in the UK, when in fact we all know the winner of that award is actually ALCOHOL.

I got my bottle in storage already, just in case. UK drugs laws are updated in the middle of the summer and sometime in January, watch the skies for that.

[cosmicruler]

i still cant believe that it has been left unclassified this LONG in the UK.....its about the only time i ever wish i actually lived in the UK(no offence intended)....

is classifying it going to be a good thing???
or will it just become another substance being sold by criminal organisations at a huge profit on the streets???(as it is in swims country)

[kareena]

Originally Posted by Iggypoop

UK drugs laws are updated in the middle of the summer and sometime in January, watch the skies for that.

That's interesting... How does SWIY (or any other swiys) know this?

That would assume a reupdate in summer 2008 as we've passed the January one?

Much appreciated.

[Iggypoop]

^ Can't remember where i found that out, it was probably on here or BL somewhere though. Because of GBL and 1,4-b's uses in industry, i doubt they will ever be able to control illicit supplies.

Reputation Comments on this post:

cheers

[kareena]

Originally Posted by Iggypoop

Because of GBL and 1,4-b's uses in industry, i doubt they will ever be able to control illicit supplies.

Good point but legislation will just mean there will be strength variations much like occurs with GHB when not made with certified GBL quality, not a solution. [some fairly simple tests can be done to find out the purity of the GBL is based on its properties- some advice found around here I think]

EDIT: Not to mention increased prices due to illegality

[MrG]

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/loc...tid=28&id=5482

Well it looks like the wheels of bureaucracy are slowly grinding their way towards a decision.

Executive Summary
ACMD Recommendation:

The ACMD provisionally recommends that GBL and 1,4-BD are brought under
control of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and licensing arrangements are made
for their legitimate industrial use.

The ACMD considers that the harms and misuse of GBL and 1,4-BD are
commensurate with Class C of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; classified in
Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations (having no recognised medicinal
use).

However, the ACMD is conscious of the potential impact of control upon the
legitimate use of GBL and 1,4-BD and therefore also recommends that the
Government consults specifically on this aspect, and that the Council has an
opportunity to reconsider its conclusions following the outcome of the

consultation.

[Alfa]

There is some evidence for an increasing use of GBL as a “club drug”, and it has
allegedly been used in drug-facilitated sexual assaults, although GHB was only
detected in 2 of 344 such cases examined by the Forensic Science Service
recently.

Interesting.

All ACMD files are available in the file archive. Simply click on the 'documents' tab above and search for 'ACMD'.