Health authorities say ketamine use is increasing across Europe, although it is less of a problem than other drugs.
The ketamine is causing a sensation throughout Europadecades after it emerged as medical anesthetic in the decade of 1960 and became popular as recreational drug in the decades of 1980 y 1990.
In more recent years, researchers have been exploring its potential to treat the depression in low dosesand ketamine-assisted therapy clinics have emerged throughout Europeincluding in the Czech Republic, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
But the drug became widely known after the American actor Matthew Perrywould die from the “acute effects of ketamine” in 2023.
Perry acquired the drug illegally in the United States after first obtaining it through a legitimate prescription to treat depression and anxiety, underscoring the sometimes blurred lines between the medical use and the dependence.
So,what is exactly ketamine, who use it and which Is your legal status?
What type of drug is ketamine?
Ketamine is a psychedelicbut It is not the same as classic psychedelics such as psilocybin (“magic mushrooms”) or LSDwhich can affect people’s perception, mood, thinking, and sensory experiences.
Instead, ketamine is considered a “atypical psychedelic“. Although it has a dissociative effect and can also alter people’s state of consciousness, its actual experiences may be different from those of classic drugs and vary from person to person.
Where is ketamine allowed?
In 2019, the European Union’s medicines regulatory body approved the sketaminewhich uses ketamine as a parent compound, as depression medication resistant to treatment. It is also still used as analgesic and sedative in some hospitals and in veterinary medicine.
But due to the dangers of recreational useketamine is also considered a controlled substance in several countries, such as Lithuania and France.
Where is ketamine common in Europe?
Public health scientists use data from wastewater samples to estimate the level of drug use in a community. In 2022, they found generally low levels of ketamine residue in 15 European citieswith the highest levels in Denmark, Spain, Italy and Portugal.
Even so, the number of seizures illegal ketamine supplies across the EU have almost quintupled in recent years, from 701 in 2015 to 3,462 in 2022. That represents 9% of all new psychoactive substances seized that year.
Denmark and the Netherlands They accounted for two-thirds of the ketamine seized by authorities in 2022, according to the EU drugs agency.
Where does ketamine come from?
Ketamine in Europe is believed to come mainly from Indiaalthough authorities say it may also have its origin in China o Pakistan. The authorities have only discovered a few illegal ketamine labsinEuropain the Netherlands and Belgium.
How addictive is ketamine?
The habit of consuming ketamine can generate psychological dependenceas well as a tolerance that leads people to take higher (and more dangerous) doses to achieve the same effect.
A UK study published in 2012 revealed that 17% of ketamine users were dependent on it. However, very few Europeans receive treatment for ketamine abuse. In the EU, 600 people received help for problems with ketamine in 2022, up from 240 in 2018.
ADVERTISINGThis could be because while some people take ketamine alone, others mix it with cocaine or ecstasy, so people with ketamine problems may seek treatment for other addictions to drugs.
What are the side effects of ketamine use?
Habitual use of ketamine can damage the bladderhe heart and the brainin addition to causing mental health problems and difficulty breathing. The same UK study found that 26.6% of recent ketamine users reported suffering from urinary tract symptoms.
