Bucs' Boston Tests Positive For GHB, Lab Results Show

By ROY CUMMINGS and STEPHEN THOMPSON The Tampa Tribune

Published: Sep 11, 2007

TAMPA - David Boston's future with the Bucs remained uncertain Monday after Pinellas Park police said the receiver was under the influence of the date-rape drug GHB when he was found asleep at the wheel of his sport utility vehicle last month.

Toxicology reports revealed that Boston had 870 micrograms per milliliter of GHB in his urine when he was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor DUI on Aug. 23, Pinellas Park authorities said. Capt. Sanfield Forseth said the reading was verified by a second laboratory.

"We're told by the experts that that is a level that would make you impaired," said Bruce Bartlett, chief assistant state attorney at the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office.

Gamma hydroxybutyric acid, or GHB, is an illegal central nervous system depressant that became popular among recreational drug users about 15 years ago because of its intoxicating effects. It is considered highly addictive and is popular among bodybuilders, but claims that it helps build muscle mass have not been proven.

It also is known to cause its users to fall asleep, authorities said Monday. At the time of his arrest, Boston was asleep at the wheel, the SUV's engine was running and the vehicle was stopped in traffic, police said.

Boston, who was unavailable for comment Monday, told police that laboratory analysts would find no illegal substances in his urine. He also issued a statement Thursday proclaiming his innocence in the matter after the results came back.

Bucs general manager Bruce Allen, who on Aug. 25 issued an emphatic statement saying the team had investigated the charges against Boston and had found no "objective evidence to support" them, issued another statement Monday.

"We are taking the allegations in [Monday's] report released by the Pinellas Park Police Department very seriously and we will continue to review all information as it becomes available," Allen said. "We will reserve further comment until all the facts surrounding the investigation are complete."

Expert Says It Was A Lot Of GHB

Although the GHB in Boston's system does not seem like a significant amount, Cynthia Lewis-Younger, medical director for the Florida Poison Information Center in Tampa, said it is four times what one would expect to see in the urine of someone who received a prescribed, legitimate dose. The Food and Drug Administration has approved GHB as a treatment for narcolepsy, a sleep disorder.

The forensic laboratory that tested Boston's urine does not test for GHB unless asked to, in part because the drug dissipates quickly, said Kendall Davidson, the assistant state attorney prosecuting the case against Boston. The laboratory tested Boston's sample at the request of a Pinellas Park police drug recognition expert after the officer witnessed Boston's behavior, a police report states.

"The amounts associated with incapacitation are surprisingly small in a lot of cases," Lewis-Younger said.

The National Football League does not test for GHB, and it is not on the league's list of banned substances.

Nevertheless, Boston could be suspended by the league should he eventually be found guilty.

"A violation of substance abuse law is a violation of our [personal conduct] policy," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. "But [Boston] has only been charged, so the matter will have to be reviewed under our policy."

Boston Has Had Drug Problems

Boston accompanied the Bucs to Seattle for their first game of the season Sunday, but he did not play after reportedly injuring his foot in the pregame warm-up.

This is not the first time Boston has tangled with officials over illegal drugs. In a case similar to this one, Boston pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts after he tested positive for cocaine and marijuana after a traffic stop in 2002.

Boston also was suspended for four games by the NFL in 2004 for violating the league's steroid policy. Boston denied taking anabolic steroids, but his appeal was denied by the league.

Boston's latest run-in with the law began when police found him asleep at the wheel of his red Range Rover at the intersection of Park Boulevard and 49th Street North in Pinellas Park about 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 23.

After being awakened by police, Boston was given a breath test that showed he did not have any alcohol in his system. Later, at Pinellas County Jail, his urine was tested for 10 common drugs, including cocaine, marijuana and Ecstasy.

Results of that test showed Boston's urine contained none of those drugs, but a sample of his urine also was sent to the Pinellas County Forensic Laboratory and tested for several other drugs, including GHB and PCP.

The results of that test came back last Thursday, but Pinellas Park officials said they could not reveal the results because the matter was still under investigation.

Boston later issued this statement: "All I am able to say at this time is that I have done nothing wrong; I was not impaired. I have assured, and will continue to assure, the Buccaneers that I have done nothing wrong.

"In the end, when this matter is resolved, the facts will show that I have done nothing wrong. I appreciate the Buccaneers organization believing in me and the fans for their support."

Reporter Roy Cummings can be reached at (813) 259-7979 or rcummings@tampatrib.com. Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com. Keyword: GHB, for "A Broken Mind," a special report from Tribune reporter Jan Hollingsworth, including resources and advice.