Ketamine explosion has echoes of heroin epidemic

Experts call for greater awareness of risks after huge surge in use of drug

- DAMON WILKINSON

WHEN lockdown hit there was 'nothing to do, so she turned to ketamine to pass the time.

"The dealer was the next road down from me, and he was like, the best dealer I could ever f****** imagine," the 18-year-old from Bury said. "And I could just go on my daily walk, so that's when my [ketamine] use started to increase, because there was nothing else to do, so I was like, 'oh, I'll just go and do it, why not?"" The teenager's story is not unusual.

Ketamine use is thought to be on the up among young people across Greater Manchester, experts have warned.

There's been reports of children taking it at school, young people using the drug to 'self-medicate' anxiety and depression, and it's also becoming increasingly popular among university students. It's led to calls for more support and education amid fears of a burgeoning health crisis.

Ketamine is an anaesthetic that mainly comes in the form of white powder or crystals which are snorted. It causes intoxication and psychedelic effects, including hallucinations.

Until recently there was a stigma around the use of the drug - also known as 'ket' or 'K' - partly down to its use as a horse tranquilliser. But since the pandemic, attitudes have changed dramatically, the GM Trends study by researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University and Greater Manchester Combined Authority has found.

Many dealers are now selling ketamine alongside cocaine.

And more people are using the two drugs in combination as an alternative to ecstasy, believing it has less of a comedown. In the age of social media, users believe there is less chance of them being seen 'gurning' in pictures.