The reactivity of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) in alcoholic solutions

In this work the stability of GBL (gamma-butyrolactone) and GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyric acid) in alcoholic media was studied. Under acidic conditions the GBL will react with ethanol or methanol to give the corresponding ethyl and methyl esters of GHB. It can be seen that ester formation is dependent on the type of alcohol, the alcohol content of the solution, and the pH of the solution. Under the same conditions it was shown that GHB does not give rise directly to the corresponding ester when merely in the presence of an alcohol; however the ester will be formed if the conditions are present for conversion of GHB to GBL followed by subsequent reaction with alcohol. In alcoholic beverage samples spiked with GBL the expected conversion to GHB occurred, and the formation of the ethyl ester of GHB was also seen in some samples. Wine samples were analyzed for the presence of the ethyl ester of GHB, and the effect of adding GHB/GBL to hot beverages was studied.     

A prospective comparative evaluation of a Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion Service in Belfast

There is continued interest in the planning, development and implementation of services designed to identify detainees with mental illness and connect them to health and social services. However, currently, little is known about how best to configure, organise and deliver these services. The study employed a prospective follow-up design with a comparator group to describe and evaluate a police mental health liaison service based in Belfast. Participants were recruited from two neighbouring police stations, only one of which provided a mental health liaison service. Outcomes including mental health status, drug and alcohol misuse, risk-related behaviour and ‘administrative’ outcomes were assessed at the time of arrest and six months later. The service was successful in identifying and assessing detainees, though there appeared to be similar between-group levels of mental health problems over time. Results highlight a need to develop firmer linkages and pathways between criminal justice liaison/diversion services and routine health and social services.     

Historical institutional child abuse in Ireland: survivor perspectives on taking part in the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (CICA) and the redress scheme

This article explores the experience of taking part in the Irish State’s Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (CICA) and the subsequent redress scheme. The Commission was set up in 2000 with the task of investigating Industrial and Reformatory Schools that were in existence for most of the twentieth century. A redress scheme was also set up by the government to compensate those who were abused in these institutions. 25 qualitative interviews were conducted with male and female Industrial and Reformatory School survivors. The focus of this article is to understand some of the issues that this cohort of survivors faced in taking part in the inquiry and redress process, dealing with issues such as re-traumatisation, retributive justice and procedural justice.     

Obstacles to NGOs’ accountability to intended beneficiaries: the case of ActionAid

While NGO accountability is widely discussed in the literature, there has been little work done on how accountability systems operate in practice. This article aims to address this gap by using qualitative empirical data to provide a case study of one NGO’s initiative in this area. ActionAid has made substantial, high-profile efforts to improve its downward accountability since 2000. Using data from fieldwork conducted in Uganda and internationally, the article reveals the operational obstacles which have hindered ActionAid in its attempts to strengthen its accountability to intended beneficiaries at the community level, and reviews ActionAid’s ongoing commitment to this goal.