Dangers of date rape drug 1,4-butanediol revealed

A dangerous drug which is cheap to buy and commonly imported as an industrial chemical is sweeping the streets and authorities are warning it is increasingly being linked to sexual assaults.

A dangerous drug linked to sexual assaults and commonly imported as an industrial chemical is sweeping the streets.

Australian border authorities have reported escalating harm from 1,4-butanediol, also known as bute or a date rape drug.

Bute, which is an industrial solvent commonly used in manufacturing, is a mirror drug to illegal substance gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) as it metabolises into GHB when ingested, slowing down the person’s nervous system.

Bute is typically a clear, odourless liquid or white powder, and is preferred among users as it’s fairly cheap to buy.

Unlike GHB, the effects of bute can take longer to feel, prompting people to re-dose earlier and increase their risk of overdose.

Overwhelmingly, what users believe to be GHB is actually bute.

Vials of bute seized in Sydney in March this year. Australian Federal Police/Australian Border Force

Australian Border Force Inspector Steve Garden said 1,4-butanediol was declared a border controlled drug in March this year after reports of escalating harm from its use.

This means those convicted of illegally importing bute face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

“While there are legitimate uses for bute as an industrial solvent, it is found to increasingly be used as an illicit substance or precursor, as it slows down the body’s nervous system when ingested,” Inspector Garden said.

“This makes it an extremely dangerous drug that unfortunately can prove fatal while reports are on the rise of it also being linked to sexual assaults.

“Our officers are on high alert to the illegal importation of bute into Australia, as criminal syndicates attempt to make profits from this dangerous substance with no care or concern about the harm and misery it causes in our community.”

This month, two men were arrested in Norlane after police allegedly found 2.6kg of 1,4-butanediol, valued at about $6000, in their car.

The commercial trafficking quantity of the drug is 2kg.

Corio police were conducting patrols when they approached a stationary vehicle on October 4.

One man allegedly fled to a nearby home, belonging to the second man.

Both the car and the property were searched and police also allegedly seized two imitation firearms and 11g of methylamphetamine.

A 26-year-old Ocean Grove man was charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of bute, possessing a commercial quantity of a drug of dependence and dealing with property suspected to be proceeds of crime.

A 48-year-old man from Norlane was charged with possession of a drug of dependence and possession of an imitation firearm and was released pending summons.

Earlier this month, Mark Pollard, 33, was sentenced to four years and nine months in jail in the County Court after police found 80kg of 1,4-butanediol in a storage unit he rented in Breakwater.

Inside were four boxes of approximately 79.3kg of 1,4-butanediol.

Prosecutors allege in June and July 2022, Pollard had attempted to import 50L of bute seized at Melbourne airport, along with 25L seized at Sydney airport.

In August, serial drug dealer Alex Urquhart was jailed for seven years and four months in the County Court after police found 30kg of 1,4-butanediol in his Moolap home.

Alex Urquhart was sentenced to jail for trafficking bute. Picture: Facebook.

Earlier this week, Burwood man Kelvin Leong was sentenced to 11 years and six months in jail after almost 500kg of bute was found in a storage unit.

Victoria Police investigation and response manager Karl Curran said there had been 21 GHB trafficking offences in Greater Geelong in the past year.

“However, targeting those trafficking or in possession of harmful substances such as GHB and 1,4-butanediol remains a priority for police,” he said.

Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association chief executive Chris Christoforou said there were multiple reasons why users would substitute GHB for bute.

“There are a number of reasons, which may be related to availability and cost rather than quality, the latter which remains one of the key risks that come from the unregulated illicit drug market,” he said.

“The cost of GHB and similar substances remains fairly low.”

Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association chief executive Chris Christoforou. Picture: Supplied

Kane Nuttall, founder of Geelong rehabilitation organisation the Power In You Project, said users often mixed the drug with other substances.

“We know that it’s out there and it is dangerous,” he said.

“People should think about what they are putting in their body.”

Mr Christoforou said due to the metabolisation process, overdose and paramedic attendances data relating to bute was often listed as GHB.

Paramedics were called to 60 incidents involving GHB in the Greater Geelong region in the 2021/22 financial year, according to Turning Point data.

There were 71 hospitalisations after suspected GHB usage in the region in the 2020/21 financial year — an increase from 40 in the previous financial year.

Mr Christoforou said it was a concern bute had been reported as being used in sexual assaults or violence across the country.

But Inspector Curran said there has been no intelligence to indicate sexual assaults in the Geelong region were linked to either bute or GHB.

Anyone with information on illicit drug activity should contact local police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

Originally published as Dangers of date rape drug 1,4-butanediol revealed