Drugs: Taking in trends

You can be forgiven for not having heard of the drug gamma hydroxybutyrate or "GBH" as it is called by those in the know.

British drugs charities warn that misuse of the colourless, odourless substance is on the increase in the nation's nightclubs.

Although legal to possess, the muscle-growth drug, which produces euphoria in the user, can prove deadly, especially if combined with alcohol.

The array of drugs can confuse the uninitiated

For those outside the UK's drug culture, it may seem that each week a new and unfamiliar illicit substance surfaces.

"Dance drugs", such as ecstasy, are supplanted by heroin "chic", itself replaced by a cocaine "craze".

Martin Perry, national education co-ordinator for the drug charity Hope UK, says patterns of substance abuse are cyclical and the popularity and usage of specific drugs does rise and fall.

New name, same danger

Drugs gain new names and new connotations in the minds of prospective users.

"It's impossible to keep up to date with the changing names. One drug in Newcastle will be called a different name in London," says Mr Perry.

Ecstasy is often called simply "E"

In part, these nicknames are intended to confuse and scare those beyond the drug-taking community.

"It almost adds to the mystique of a drug. The names are exclusive to users and are not accessible to adults," says Mr Perry.

Heroin, once shunned by many recreational drug users, has gained greater popularity in recent years thanks to a subcultural version of rebranding, he says.

Street cred

"Mention heroin to kids and they'd once have said: 'That's a junkie's drug.' Calling it 'brown', rather than heroin, seems to have given it a bit of street cred."

Harry Shapiro, director of communications at Drugscope, says that when "smokeable" heroin first hit south London in the early 1980s, "being called a 'smackhead' was a badge of honour, then it became a sign of being a saddo".

Heroin has enjoyed phases of popularity

Mr Shapiro says economics, rather than fashion, may have more effect on drug consumption patterns.

"Availability clearly is a key issue. You can't have 'heroin chic' if you haven't got any heroin."

Geopolitical shifts also have an effect on what is on sale in your local area.

"In the 40s and 50s, you couldn't get cocaine for love nor money, when it had been quite popular in the 1920s."

High life

Various events in South America prompted a resumption of supplies in the 60s and 70s, when the, still expensive, drug became synonymous with rock stars and movie actors, says Mr Shapiro.

"Cocaine still has that 'champagne' image, despite dropping in price so that more people can afford it."

Distant events affect local drug supplies

The drug scene can be driven by some "demand" factors.

The rise and fall of various stimulant drugs, such as ecstasy, has mirrored the social habits of youth subcultures.

"It would appear difficult to sustain an all-night dance culture without a stimulant drug," says Mr Shapiro.

The Mod dancehalls of the 60s, Northern Soul clubs of the 70s and the "raves" of more recent years have all had their own drug of choice.

Mr Shapiro is keen to point out that any idea of drug users slavishly following "fashion" is wide of the mark.

Pick and mix

"People think of heroin culture or cocaine culture, but for recreational drug users it's all about what they want, what's around and what they can afford."

Ecstasy no longer "makes as many headlines"

Mr Shapiro says that in this "pick-and-mix" culture, users are not always going to stop taking drugs altogether because their favourite one is in short supply.

"If you walk into a pub and your bitter is off, you don't just walk out of the pub, you have something else."

Just as misuse of GBH may not be news to those in the club scene, just because a drug fails to make headlines, it doesn't necessarily go away.

"There are still many ecstasy users, even if ecstasy deaths don't make the front pages in the way they used to."