Geelong among Victoria’s worst for GHB call-outs as emergencies surge

More people are overdosing on GHB, known as ‘liquid ecstasy’, with Geelong emerging as a regional hotspot for ambulance call-outs linked to the potent drug.

Dr Rowan Ogeil, Turning Point's strategic lead at the National Addiction and Mental Health Surveillance Unit at Turning Point, is concerned about GHB use.

A surge in GHB-related ambulance attendances has put Greater Geelong on the map as a regional hotspot for the potent drug, with one researcher calling for a fixed drug-testing site to ease pressure on local emergency departments.

A Turning Point analysis of National Ambulance Surveillance System data found GHB-related ambulance attendance rates increased nationally, with Victoria recording the highest rate.

The research, led by Dr Rowan Ogeil, found Greater Geelong was the fourth highest local government area statewide for GHB-related ambulance attendances between January 2015 and March 2024.

Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a depressant drug that slows down the central nervous system.

Also known as “liquid ecstasy” or a “date rape” drug, it is typically a colourless, odourless liquid used in social or party settings.

Dr Rowan Ogeil, Turning Point's strategic lead at the National Addiction and Mental Health Surveillance Unit at Turning Point, is concerned about GHB use.

The data found Geelong accounted for 31 per cent of all GHB-related ambulance attendances outside metropolitan Melbourne. It surpassed areas such as Stonnington and Yarra, which contain high concentrations of nightclubs and bars traditionally associated with GHB use.

Researchers found GHB-related ambulance attendances in Greater Geelong increased more than tenfold in five years, rising from fewer than 20 in 2018 to 200 in 2023.

Statewide, Victoria saw a 67 per cent rise from 2211 to 3693 GHB-related ambulance attendances between 2022 and 2023.

It also recorded the highest rate of 65.8 attendances per 100,000 population, with attendances peaking among people aged 25-34.

Dr Ogeil, strategic lead of Turning Point’s National Addiction and Mental Health Surveillance Unit, said the study supported recent reports from emergency department staff in Geelong about rising GHB presentations.

“There is a need for more education and more investment in harm minimisation strategies which have been shown to be useful in other areas,” he said.

“There will soon be a fixed drug checking site in Fitzroy, we could consider a fixed site in Geelong, there are also mobile sites that have had super encouraging results.”

The Fitzroy site will be staffed by chemists and trained harm reduction workers to help people make more informed and safer choices.

Vial of GHB.

The new study also found attendances in regional Victoria were 31 per cent more likely to present with more severe outcomes compared with attendances in metropolitan areas.

“The difference between the amount to reach the desired effect and an overdose can be very small,” Dr Ogeil said.

“Our research team has previously shown that this leads to high rates of overdose or loss of

consciousness in GHB users.”

Dr Ogeil also identified seasonal patterns in Greater Geelong, with attendances peaking during summer months, coinciding with the music festival season.

Geelong hospital’s director of emergency services Dr Belinda Hibble said GHB could be unpredictable and more potent than many other recreational substances.

“In some cases, patients require mechanical ventilation and intensive care due to respiratory depression,” she said.

Belinda Hibble is the director of Barwon Health's Emergency Department. Picture: Mike Dugdale

Last year more than 50 patients were rushed to Geelong hospital in the first six months of the year after taking GHB.

In May 2023, three people were found unconscious after they reportedly consumed a “toxic” batch of GHB.

A 17-year-old girl was found in central Geelong, a man was discovered on a footpath in Norlane, and another man was found in Corio.

An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said paramedics were concerned by the increasing number of drug-related cases requiring an emergency ambulance response.

Originally published as Geelong among Victoria’s worst for GHB call-outs as emergencies surge