By William Delahunty
Ketamine has recently been placed under review and the UK government is looking at recategorising it as a Class A drug.
The drug traditionally being used as a club drug has now been noted to be used in a more casual setting.
This has led to an uptick in usage and has prompted legislature to investigate just how dangerous this type of using is.
“When I look in the mirror, I don’t recognise myself,” said Shelia (name changed to protect her identity), a university student in Leicester as she shared her experience with ketamine.
The drug has continued to grow in popularity and police have seen the impact of it.
It is a highly addictive substance that makes shaking the narcotic challenging and dangerous in its own right.
It is becoming a much more common drug that police are being forced to deal with at a growing rate.
The national review is seeking the invaluable expertise of healthcare professionals, and may lead to ketamine being reclassified so as to more severely punish the distribution of such a troubling drug.
Many police forces are calling for such a change in order to limit the damage that this drug is doing to their communities.
Frequent use of ketamine can cause severe kidney and liver issues as well as problems with the bladder and brain function.
It is not uncommon for short-term and long-term memory loss from using it.
“Some days I have no memory of, like at all,” warned Shelia. “I’d sober up after a day had passed and be confused where Friday had gone, it’s really scary.
“Self-referring myself to TurningPoint was one of the hardest decisions I’ve made, but I literally couldn’t take it anymore, I couldn’t take not doing something.”
If you or anyone you know is affected by substance abuse issues, charities such as TurningPoint are in place to support users, to help them to recover and to make sure they are not alone in their time of crisis.
Referrals can be made through the TurningPoint site: https://www.turning-point.co.uk
