Young adults and teenagers prevalent in ‘skyrocketing’ admissions linked to class B drug, say doctors in northern England
Experts have warned that urology departments across the UK could be close to breaking point as ketamine-related hospital admissions have “skyrocketed” in the past few years.
Ketamine, a class B dissociative drug used for pain relief and sedation, is increasingly used recreationally in the UK. It is one of only three drugs, alongside magic mushrooms and hallucinogens, to have become used more regularly since 2015.
Recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows that ketamine usage, while down slightly from the previous year, is still high. The numbers who say they have used the drug in the past month has increased by 251.85% since 2015, the greatest increase in the use of a single drug in that period.
Few places have felt the effects of that increase more than urology departments. Chronic ketamine use can cause irreversible damage to the bladder and urinary tract, and departments have seen an increase in patients, with many of those treated being young adults and teenagers.
