(Juneau) - House Bill 379, sponsored by Representative Kevin Meyer (R-Anchorage), passed the Senate unanimously today.

HB 379 elevates the date rape drug, "GHB" from a schedule IVA to a schedule IA controlled substance and adds chemical variations that were previously not covered by state law to the schedule. The federal government elevated GHB and its variations to a schedule IA in 2000.

One of the previously unlisted variants was implicated in the death of a 16-year-old Chugiak High School student last fall. The man who provided the drug had to be tried in federal court because the particular drug wasn't listed as an unlawful substance in state law.

"When I started researching the issue, I was amazed to discover that these drugs not only weren't listed, but that they were becoming popular 'date rape drugs,'" said Representative Meyer.

GHB and its variants are colorless, odorless, easy to slip into a drink and very difficult to detect with toxicological screens.

HB 379 now awaits the Governor's signature.

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