GHB Experience Someone is out
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Railway tracks splitting at a junction at night, with an amber and two green signal lights

S0 Emergency decision tree for GHB and GBL

GHB and GBL, one step at a time

Start at the first signal. Answer one question at a time and the tree tells you what to do next, from the recovery position to who to call. In an emergency, call 112 first and read later.

GHB and GBL are depressants with a very small margin between the effect people look for and passing out. Every step below links to a page that explains the why, with sources from Trimbos, FRANK and peer-reviewed studies.

Call 112EU999UK911US

The whole tree, from the first question to every end signal. Follow your answers down.

  1. S0

    What is happening right now?

    Pick the line that fits. Every answer leads to a next step, and every step links to the full page.

    1. Someone is passed out, very drowsy or will not wake up

      1. A1

        Can you wake them?

        Say their name loudly and tap or gently shake their shoulders.

        1. No response

          1. A2

            Are they breathing normally?

            Tilt the head back gently and lift the chin. Look, listen and feel for no more than 10 seconds. Slow, gasping or irregular breaths do not count as normal.

            1. Not breathing, or not normally

              1. R1Act now

                Call 112 now and say they are not breathing

                1. Call 112 (999 in the UK, 911 in the US), or let someone else call while you stay with the person.
                2. Put the phone on speaker. The operator talks you through chest compressions and stays on the line.
                3. Keep going until the ambulance crew takes over.

                Call 112EU999UK911US

                What to do when someone is out

            2. Yes, breathing normally

              1. R2Act now

                Call 112, recovery position, stay with them

                1. Call 112 (999 in the UK, 911 in the US). Someone who cannot be woken needs an ambulance, even if they are breathing.
                2. Roll them onto their side in the recovery position, so the airway stays open and vomit can drain out.
                3. Stay with them and keep checking their breathing. If it stops or becomes irregular, call back and follow the operator.
                4. Tell the crew what was taken, including alcohol. Keep the bottle for them.

                Call 112EU999UK911US

                The recovery position, step by step

        2. They respond

          1. A3

            Are they confused, very sleepy, vomiting or drifting off again?

            GHB can deepen after someone first seems fine, especially when more was taken or alcohol is involved.

            1. Yes

              1. R3Stay alert

                Do not leave them alone

                1. Keep them on their side or sitting up, never flat on their back.
                2. Call 112 if you cannot wake them, if their breathing slows or sounds noisy, if they have a fit, or if you are unsure.
                3. Give them nothing more: no alcohol, no other drugs, no more GHB.
                4. Someone stays awake next to them. Nobody sleeps it off alone.

                Call 112EU999UK911US

                Signs that it is getting worse

            2. No, they are awake and clear

              1. A4

                Did they also drink alcohol or take another downer?

                Downers include alcohol, sleeping pills and benzodiazepines, opioids and ketamine.

                1. Yes, or I don't know

                  1. R4Stay alert

                    Combined with a downer: stay close

                    1. GHB with alcohol or another downer is the combination most often behind people going out.
                    2. Stay with them for the rest of the night and check on them regularly, also once they are asleep.
                    3. Nothing more to drink or take. Call 112 as soon as they cannot be woken.

                    Why GHB and alcohol do not mix

                2. No

                  1. R5Before you start

                    Stay together and keep an eye on them

                    1. Effects can still change. Stay in company and check on them now and then.
                    2. Do not let them drive, swim or go home alone.
                    3. If they become drowsy or confused, go back to the first question.

                    Why GHB is so unpredictable

    2. I think a drink was spiked

      1. B1

        Is the person very unwell, confused or unable to stay awake?

        This can be you or someone you are with.

        1. Yes

          Continue at signal A1

        2. No, but something feels wrong

          1. R6Stay alert

            Get to safety and tell someone now

            1. Tell a friend you trust, or the bar or venue staff, and stay with people you know.
            2. Do not go home alone and do not leave with someone you do not know.
            3. Call 112 if symptoms get worse. Report it to the police: many substances leave the body within hours, so a quick test matters.

            Call 112EU999UK911US

            Drink spiking: signs and what to do

    3. Someone uses GHB daily and wants to stop

      1. D1

        Since they stopped or cut down, are they shaking, confused, seeing things or very agitated?

        These can be signs of serious withdrawal.

        1. Yes

          1. R7Act now

            Call 112: this needs medical care

            1. GHB withdrawal can get worse fast and can become life-threatening.
            2. Call 112 (999 in the UK, 911 in the US) and say that the person is withdrawing from GHB.
            3. Stay with them until help arrives.

            Call 112EU999UK911US

            Dependence and withdrawal

        2. No, they have not stopped yet

          1. R8Stay alert

            Do not stop suddenly on your own

            1. After daily use, stopping all at once can bring on dangerous withdrawal.
            2. Contact a doctor or an addiction service first. They can arrange supervised help.
            3. In the Netherlands start with your GP or the Drugs Infolijn; in the UK with your GP or FRANK.

            Where to find help

    4. I want to know what is in a liquid

      1. C1

        Has anyone already taken it?

        A test is for before. Once someone feels the effects, watch the person, not the bottle.

        1. Yes, and they feel unwell

          Continue at signal A1

        2. No, nobody has taken it

          1. R9Before you start

            Test the liquid with a GHB reagent test

            1. A colour reaction shows whether GHB is probably in the liquid.
            2. It does not show how strong the liquid is. Strength varies a lot from bottle to bottle.
            3. No reaction, or a colour that is not on the chart: the liquid is not what it was said to be. It could be GBL, a mix or something else. Do not drink it.

            Testing a liquid for GHB

C1 Before anyone drinks

Test the liquid first

Liquids sold as GHB can hold GHB, GBL, something else or a mix, and nobody can see the strength. A reagent test takes a drop and a few minutes, and the colour shows whether GHB is probably in it. The strength stays unknown, so the test is a first check, never a green light.

  • One single-use test per pack
  • Colour chart in the pack
  • Sold by Dutch-Smart, adults only

View the GHB test at Dutch-Smart What the test can and cannot tell

How the test works step by step: dopeornopetest.com, the site of the Dope or Nope brand.

GHB Test - Legit or Fake Reagent test kit GHB Test - Legit or Fake €2.75Dutch-Smart View at Dutch-Smart
F1

The margin is small

Trimbos describes it plainly: the amount that gives a pleasant effect lies close to the amount at which someone loses consciousness. FRANK says the same about GHB and GBL, and adds that strength varies from bottle to bottle. GBL turns into GHB in the body within minutes and acts stronger. Why GHB is so unpredictable.

F2

Out is not asleep

Regular users sometimes call it a "G-nap", but someone who cannot be woken is unconscious. The tongue can block the airway and a person who comes round can vomit before they are awake enough to turn over. Nobody sleeps it off alone. What to do when someone is out.

F3

Alcohol turns a small amount into too much

GHB and alcohol strengthen each other's sedating effect and both slow breathing. Stimulants such as cocaine or speed hide how drowsy someone is, until they wear off. GHB with alcohol and other drugs.

F4

Daily use, then stopping

Dependence can build within weeks of daily use. Stopping all at once after heavy daily use can be life-threatening, so stopping goes with a doctor or addiction service. Dependence and withdrawal.

F5

The law in one line

GHB is on list I of the Dutch Opium Act since 9 May 2012. In the UK, GHB, GBL and 1,4-butanediol are Class B since 13 April 2022. Germany put GBL and 1,4-butanediol under its new psychoactive substances law on 12 April 2026. The law per country.

Every route on this site

  1. 01What is GHBGHB is a depressant with a small margin between effect and passing out. What GHB, GBL and 1,4-butanediol are, and why the same bottle acts so differently.
  2. 02Someone is outHow to recognise a GHB or GBL overdose, when to call 112, how to use the recovery position and why nobody should sleep it off alone. First aid, step by step.
  3. 03MixingGHB and alcohol strengthen each other and both slow breathing. What happens with sleeping pills, opioids, ketamine, and why cocaine or speed hide the danger.
  4. 04DependenceGHB dependence can build within weeks, and stopping suddenly can be life-threatening. Signs of withdrawal, why not to stop alone, and where to find help.
  5. 05Drink spikingWhat drink spiking is, how often GHB is really involved, the signs to watch for, and why a fast test matters because GHB leaves the body within hours.
  6. 06GHB testA GHB reagent test shows whether a liquid probably contains GHB. What a result means, why strength stays unknown and how many tests you need.
  7. 07The lawGHB is controlled in the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, the US and under UN treaty. The status of GHB, GBL and 1,4-butanediol per country, with dates.
  8. 08AboutWho publishes GHB Experience, how the decision tree and the facts are put together and checked, and why the only product link goes to Dutch-Smart.