Ketamine

Data on trends in the levels of ketamine-related hospital admissions and emergency call-outs in the last ten years is not collected centrally.

There was an increase in the proportion of adults entering treatment in 2023 to 2024 with ketamine problems, from 1.6% in 2022/23 to 2.3% this year. The number of ketamine users starting treatment (3,609) is now over eight times higher than it was in 2014/15, when the number was 426. Ketamine use among children and young people has also increased in recent years. According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, the prevalence of ketamine use among 16- to 24-year-olds was 2.9% in 2023/24. This is an increase from 1.3% in 2018/19, but a decrease from 3.8% in 2022/23 which was the highest on record.

The Department is taking seriously the threat of ketamine, its increased prevalence, and its associated harms. We are working with partners across Government to respond to existing and new drug threats and to reduce and prevent the health harms they cause.

The Department has recently launched a media campaign to raise awareness of the risks posed by new drug trends and products. Ketamine is one of its main focuses. The campaign, which includes online films, targets 16- to 24-year-olds and social media users. Experts will highlight particular risks, including the potentially irreparable damage ketamine can cause to the bladder. The full press notice is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/young-people-given-stark-warning-on-deadly-risks-of-taking-drugs

In addition to this, the Department also cascaded a briefing to local authorities and treatment systems which included data on ketamine use and guidance on prevention, harm reduction, and treatment interventions. The briefing also included advice on how to develop system-wide healthcare responses, focusing on pathways to and from mental health and urology services to respond to ketamine related bladder damage.