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SANDY -- Unified police drug investigators are looking into the possibility of a bigger production operation in the Salt Lake Valley after a search warrant on a home in Sandy yielded a large quantity of a liquid that can be used as a date rape drug.
Officers seized a gallon of liquid GHB during the Wednesday raid -- enough for hundreds of doses, investigators told KSL Friday. Each dose carries a street value of $10.
"If there is a large, clandestine laboratory producing GHB in the valley, we certainly want to get to the bottom of that," Unified Police Lt. Don Hutson said.
Police say the homeowner admitted to an addiction to GHB, though officers also believe the drug was being distributed out of the house. There was no evidence of the GHB being produced in the home, and that is raising questions about the origins.
UPD investigators are also looking into who was buying the doses.
"You really don't know why people are purchasing this particular product," Hutson said.
In addition to its use as a date rape drug, GHB can also be addictive when used as an alternative to alcohol.
"It intoxicates the person who ingests it and can cause a drunken stupor without a lot of the other effects of alcohol," Hutson said.
Hutson said GHB, in its early days, was also used by body builders at night to help stimulate muscle growth. The homeowner needed a cap-full per day to function, Hutson said.
"It certainly was being distributed," said Hutson. "It's not uncommon for people who use a certain substance to sell some of it to support their habit."
Four people were detained during the investigation. It is unclear what charges they will face.
Hutson said GHB cases had nearly vanished in recent years, but the seizure suggests the drug may be making something of a comeback.
E-mail: aadams@ksl.com
