6PM UPDATE: A young girl has narrowly avoided death or serious injury after allegedly ingesting GHB at an Albury home.
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Paramedics were called to a house in Schubach Street about 11.30pm on Friday.
The four-year-old girl was choking after reportedly drinking a small amount of the drug from a drink bottle.
She was transported to Albury hospital in a critical condition and was airlifted to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.
A spokeswoman for the children's hospital said she had been discharged on Sunday.
A 30-year-old man was charged with drug possession and will appear before Albury court in November.
A police spokeswoman confirmed officers had seized two plastic bottles containing GHB.
She said the Department of Family and Community Services had been notified.
“Emergency services were called to a home in Albury on Friday night after the child fell ill after reportedly drinking a small amount of GHB,” the spokeswoman said.
“It’s believed the drug had been stored in a plastic water bottle.
“A 30-year-old man was arrested by police and taken to Albury Police Station.
“He was charged with possessing a prohibited drug.”
Alcohol and Drug Foundation national policy manager Geoff Munro said there was a high risk with GHB and only a small portion of the population used the drug due to the risk of overdose.
“There's a very small margin for error because there's very little difference between a dose that produces a high and an overdose,” he said.
“It's colourless, odourless and does have a slightly salty taste.
“The problem is it's very hard for a person buying this drug illegally to know exactly what dosage it is.
“It's usually mixed with water and it may be hard for someone to know how much they're taking.
“For a baby or an infant, this could easily be fatal.”
Mr Munro said the drug affected the respiratory system.
In high doses, GHB can shut down the body to the point the heart and lungs stop functioning.
Police have not ruled out laying further charges against the 30-year-old man, who was bailed after being arrested.
A spokesman said the investigation was ongoing.
Detective Chief Inspector David Cottee said the girl was conscious and was being monitored.
“Her condition has significantly improved,” he said.
“She appears to be suffering no ill effects, but that will be determined after further tests.”
UPDATE: Police say the girl's condition has significantly improved.
She is being monitored and does not appear to be suffering any ill effects from the overdose.
A police spokesman said they had not ruled out laying further charges against the 30-year-old man.
Detective Chief Inspector David Cottee said the girl was conscious and was being monitored.
“Her condition has significantly improved,” he said.
“She appears to be suffering no ill effects, but that will be determined after further tests.”
EARLIER: A young girl is fighting for life after an apparent GHB overdose.
Paramedics were called to a home in Schubach Street about 11.30pm on Friday.
The four-year-old girl was choking after reportedly drinking a small amount of the drug from a drink bottle.
She was transported to Albury hospital and was airlifted to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, where she remains in a critical condition.
A 30-year-old man was charged with drug possession and was granted bail to appear before Albury court on November 22.
A police spokeswoman confirmed officers had seized two plastic bottles containing GHB.
She said the Department of Family and Community Services had been notified.
“Emergency services were called to a home in Albury on Friday night after the child fell ill after reportedly drinking a small amount of GHB,” the spokeswoman said.
“It’s believed the drug had been stored in a plastic water bottle.
“The child was taken to hospital by NSW Ambulance paramedics and remains critical.
“A 30-year-old man was arrested by police and taken to Albury Police Station.
“He was charged with possessing a prohibited drug.”
According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, the drug has a high risk of overdose.
“The chemical composition of GHB is highly variable,” the foundation’s website states.
“It's very easy to take too much GHB – the difference between the amount needed to get high and the amount that causes an overdose can be hard to judge.”
Overdoses can result in death, and the drug can also cause seizures, unconsciousness, blackouts, hallucinations and irregular breathing.
Albury woman Cassandra Harper died three days after taking the drug at an Olive Street house party in January 2010.
Investigations are continuing.
