The deadly drug Ketamine is being taken by children during school hours as it's been dubbed a 'rite of passage', warn experts.
Ketamine, known as 'K' or 'Special K', comes as a powder and is usually snorted.
It can lead to a relaxed and dream-like sensation, but taking too much can cause temporary paralysis. Longer-term use can lead to memory loss, mental health problems and organ damage.
Mark O'Hagan, 55, headteacher of Sacred Heart Catholic Academy in Crosby, Liverpool warned that for many young children, taking the Class A drug has become the new normal.
'Six or seven years ago, we didn't really know what ketamine was. Now, it's in the common language of the children and for lots of children they do, unfortunately, see this as almost like a rite of passage. It's seen as just a normal thing to do, to engage in this risk taking behaviour,' he told the Echo.
