Bladder risk to young from soaring misuse of illegal anaesthetic

THOUSANDS of youngsters are at risk of serious bladder damage due to taking the drug ketamine.

- By Paul Jeeves

The anaesthetic, frequently used by sex offenders to spike victims' drinks, can have a devastating health impact — yet UK usage has soared by 85% in the past year.

Britain's ketamine crisis is so severe hospitals are now creating specialist departments for cases.

Health experts have warned the drug can cause severe problems, affecting the lining of the bladder and shrinking it, leading to a frequency in needing to urinate, plus infections, bleeding, blockages and incontinence.

It means hundreds of thousands of youngsters could potentially end up needing life-changing surgery.

James Babbage, the National Crime Agency's director general of threats, said: "I wonder how many young men would continue taking ketamine on such a scale if they realised they were potentially going to lose the ability to go to the toilet normally, and require surgery for a urostomy bag to be fitted for the rest of their lives."

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