Police issue warning after three revellers overdose on GHB at dance party

Vancouver police are warning about the dangers of teen drug and alcohol use following an incident that saw three people, including two teens, overdose on GHB, more commonly known as the date rape drug.

The incident brings the issue to the forefront at a time of year when many teens are celebrating the end of classes as well as graduation.

Vancouver police responded to a disturbance last Friday evening at the Polish Veterans Hall on the Kingsway, where an all-ages dance party was being held. When officers arrived, they found about 100 youths outside the building, many appearing to be under the influence of drugs and alcohol, Sergeant Randy Fincham said at a news conference Thursday.

Shortly after arriving, officers saw a man being carried out of the hall, unresponsive and foaming from the mouth. Sgt. Fincham said the 20-year-old was overdosing on GHB.

Officers subsequently found a 15-year-old boy and 14-year-old girl near the hall who were also overdosing on the drug. The girl was unconscious and foaming from the mouth. Sgt. Fincham said the three knowingly ingested the drug, which can act as a stimulant in small doses.

All three were taken to hospital and put in the intensive care unit. They have since been released.

GHB is commonly consumed by mixing the white crystalline powder into beverages. Police warn that GHB and alcohol can be a deadly combination.

Sgt. Fincham said there is an ongoing police investigation as to where the drug came from and the circumstances that led to the three overdosing.

Alcohol was not sold at Friday's all-ages event, police said, adding that both the owner of the Polish Veterans Hall, and event promoter Fusion Productions, are working with investigators to flesh out the details of what happened.

Police on Thursday encouraged parents to talk openly with their kids about drug and alcohol use.

"We're not naive, and we know that there are lot of grad events happening and parties," said Constable Heather Partridge, a school liaison officer with the police. "So our message to parents is that if your grads are going to events, let them know that they can always call for help at any point, and they're not going to be in any trouble if they've consumed something that they're not sure what it was."

Art Steinmann, the manager of the substance abuse prevention program at the Vancouver School Board, said while no data exist showing a higher rate of drug and alcohol use this time of year, grad celebrations increase the possibility of it happening. And because teens are still growing, he added, it is harder for them to know their limitations.

"The brain is not fully developed … your prefrontal lobe is not fully developed. There is the tendency to be more impulsive, to not learn from past mistakes as quickly, to not be able to predict ahead what might happen in certain situations," he said. "And physiologically, youth are at greater risks because other organs, the liver, is still developing until the late teens and that's what metabolizes alcohol primarily."

Mr. Steinmann said the use of GHB and other hard drugs is rare among teens. Police also said there is no indication GHB use is on the rise.

On Thursday, the B.C. coroner released a report ruling out drugs and alcohol in the death of a 16-year-old boy who collapsed on a party bus in February. The incident, however, raised questions at the time about the safety of party buses – which are often rented for prom and grad celebrations.

A Globe and Mail investigation revealed the industry is largely unregulated, and policies requiring adult supervision on buses differ from one company to the next. There is also no standard set of procedures for screening for alcohol and drugs, or first-aid training for the chaperones sometimes required to be on board, or for the drivers. Over the past few years, there have been numerous incidents where police discovered drug and alcohol use on party buses.

The Ministry of Transportation said in a press release that "it is working with companies to ensure the service they provide is safe and fully compliant with the laws in place to protect young people, families and the public in general."

No new regulations for companies have been put in place.