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GHB-involved crimes among intoxicated patients
Máté Kapitány-Fövény1, Gábor Zacher2, János Posta3
1Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Faculty of Health Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Nyírő Gyula Hospital National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictology, Drug Outpatient and Prevention Centre, Budapest, Hungary.
Forensic Science International
|March 14, 2017
Summary
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is linked to acquisitory crimes, particularly in unintentional intake cases, with males being the most common victims. Further research is needed on GHB
Area of Science:
- Forensic Toxicology
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Drug Abuse Research
Background:
- Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is frequently studied in drug-facilitated sexual assaults.
- GHB-involved acquisitory crimes and poisoning severity remain understudied research areas.
- Understanding GHB's role in various criminal activities is crucial for public health and safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the characteristics of GHB intoxication cases.
- To analyze the association between GHB use and acquisitory crimes and sexual assaults.
- To assess the severity of GHB poisoning and co-ingested substances.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of medical reports for 408 GHB intoxication cases (352 patients).
- Analysis of patient data including demographics, serum/urine GHB concentrations, Glasgow Coma Scale, and Poisoning Severity Score.
- Comparison of crime frequencies between intentional and unintentional GHB intake.
Main Results:
- The majority of GHB intoxication cases involved males in their twenties.
- GHB was detected in 34.1% of cases, with 27.7% involving sole consumption; ethanol was the most common co-ingested substance.
- Unintentional GHB intake was associated with a higher incidence of acquisitory crimes (21.7%) compared to sexual assaults (6.5%), with males being the primary victims of these crimes.
Conclusions:
- GHB plays a significant role in drug-facilitated acquisitory crimes, often affecting male victims.
- The findings on GHB-facilitated sexual assaults align with previous research.
- Further research is recommended on GHB's cognitive impairment effects and the sexual correlates of intentional GHB use.