Dublin promoter Buzz O’Neill is taking a strict no-GHB policy when it comes to his clubs

Dublin club promoter Buzz O’Neill has taken a stand against the drug GHB, colloquially known simply as ‘G’. Buzz recently began enforcing a lifetime ban on patrons of his clubs who use GHB.

“If you are DUMB enough to take GHB be SMART enough to go somewhere else. You will be BARRED for life from half the clubs and bars on the scene,” read the new signs in Buzz’s club.

At @Sundaysocialgay We’re taking a stand on the GHB issue thats ruining our club scene. pic.twitter.com/ySQiJtsqV0

— Buzz O'Neill-Maxwell (@buzzoneill) August 15, 2016

“I was just sick of seeing the way the scene is,” Buzz told GCN.

“Over the last few months, particularly over this summer there’s a different atmosphere, just something different” in clubs, Buzz explained. After doing some investigation into the change, Buzz became aware that GHB use had spiked.

“A lot of people are taking GHB. I’m not saying there are queues of ambulances outside clubs [right now] but I don’t want to see queues of ambulances outside my clubs,” Buzz declared, explaining the pre-emptive logic behind his recent ban.

“I’ve seen a few taken away this summer and as far as I’m concerned that’s a few too many.”

Drug Of Choice

GHB has grown in popularity in tandem with the growth in Dublin’s after party scene.

The drug, which also goes by the name liquid ecstasy, induces euphoria and heightens libido, which is one of the reasons that it has become so popular on the London chemsex scene, and it continues to grow in popularity here.

“The afterparty circuit and all of that and the after-afterparty circuit in people’s houses and [GHB] just seems to be the drug of choice.”

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“And the problem with it is, I’m no shrinking violet when it comes to drugs here OK, and I’m not preaching to anybody to not take it, or not do any of that. That’s not what we’re trying to say here. What we’re trying to say here is that this drug is out there, you need to be careful.”

Both GHB and alcohol act as central nervous system depressants, which means that they lower respiration and heart rate. But when both alcohol and GHB are mixed, they both work reduce respiration and heart rate, sometimes to fatal levels.

Awareness Program

“We want to try and create an awareness campaign around it, but we’re not lecturing at people. People do what they want with there lives.”

“But what we are saying to them is this drug doesn’t come with instructions or warnings on a label and because of its very form, it’s a liquid drug and people are taking it in incorrect measures, if you want to put it that way.”

“And they’re ODing, and there are a lot of people and they OD and they come back and they think they’re OK and they’re taking it with alcohol which every health authority will tell you is a massive no no.”

Since alcohol is sold in clubs and GHB reacts adversely with it, frequently causing death, it makes sense for clubs to ban the substance.

“So all the clubs are getting together over the next week and Gay Switchboard have been in touch with the HSE and they’re meeting them next week and we are going to wait for their lead on what they come back with on an education and an awareness program,” Buzz said.

“You’re going to see over the next few months all the clubs and bars getting together and pushing that education and awareness campaign about it.”

“As I said, I don’t want to be lecturing people what to do with their lives but we are saying that there are certain precautions that you have to take.”