No high here

Interestingly, the fact that 1,4-butanediol is metabolised by alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase might mean that those people who are unable to metabolise alcohol due to common polymorphisms, particularly people from eastern Asia, would not metabolise 1,4-butanediol in the same way. This turned out to be the case.

"There was a study done where they wanted to look at the effect of giving 1,4-butanediol and how much of it was converted to GHB," Carpenter says. "They found that the vast majority of people almost immediately converted it completely to GHB.

"The only exceptions are people who have the polymorphisms in alcohol dehydrogenase - if you are one of those people who can't metabolise alcohol you wouldn't get much of a kick out of GHB."

The case made headlines around the world and makes for a fascinating story. The speed with which those involved acted was outstanding, taking just over a week between the first child presenting and the product being recalled, and it was a marvellous piece of detective work. Carpenter happily says nothing like it had ever happened to him before.

"You work for 35 years in genetics and the thing that makes your name is toxicology," he says. "I didn't think I was going to find something in this case but I'm pleased I did."