A Lethal Mix on the Wellington Market
A drug harm reduction service is encouraging people to get substances such as GHB tested. One person has died and five others have been hospitalised following a string of suspected overdoses of the fantasy drug GHB in Wellington in recent days.
The Hidden Volatility of G-Type Drugs
“G-type” drugs—a category encompassing GHB, GBL, and 14BD—are discussed by Jason George, the national harm reduction lead at the DISC Trust. He said sometimes one G-type drug was sold as another.
Recent testing at Wellington drug checking services confirmed that some substances sold as 14BD were actually GHB. This misidentification creates a risk. Because people think what they are taking is something else, they can think it isn’t working and end up taking more to get the effects they were looking for. Then it comes on a bit later and ends up being stronger than intended and people can accidentally overdose or take a bit more than they wanted to.
The Limits of Visual Inspection
Harm reduction experts emphasize that just tenths of a ml could be the difference between “having a good time” or “having a really bad time”.
The DISC Trust recommends that individuals utilize professional drug-checking services. If you haven’t had it checked, there’s really no way of knowing that it’s what it was sold to you as, so we really recommend coming into a drug checking service. That way [if] you’re going to take it you know it is what you think it is.
A Deadly Pattern in Wellington
The recent string of hospitalizations and the death of a woman in Wellington underscore the volatility of the current illicit drug supply. A woman died at Woofingtons, a castle-like mansion in Wellington after drinking GHB from a bottle, her friend earlier told RNZ.
Health officials continue to warn that the lack of regulation in the illicit market means that substances marketed as “party drugs” often contain varying concentrations of chemicals.
Critical Safety Protocols
- Substance Mislabeling: Dealers may sell GHB, GBL, and 14BD interchangeably. Each has a different chemical profile and risk level.
- The “Delayed Effect” Danger: Users may incorrectly assume a substance is weak because it does not act immediately, leading them to consume more.
- Professional Checking: Drug checking services are available to help users identify potentially toxic or misidentified substances.
- Emergency Response: If someone is suspected of having overdosed on a G-type substance, immediate medical intervention is required.
Accessing Life-Saving Resources
For those in New Zealand, the New Zealand Drug Foundation provides resources and locations for legal, confidential drug-checking clinics. Using these services is a primary strategy for preventing further fatalities in the current climate of unpredictable drug supply.