Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Raphael Boyd

‘Absolutely frightening’: surge in ketamine cases hits urology wards in England and Wales

A pile of ketamine can be seen being swept up with a credit card. A bag of ketamine lies next to it.
The number of people who say they used ketamine in the last month has increased by 251.85% since 2015. Photograph: David Lee/REX Shutterstock

Experts have warned that urology departments across England and Wales could be close to breaking point as ketamine-related hospital admissions have risen rapidly in the past few years.

Ketamine, a class B dissociative drug used for pain relief and sedation, is increasingly used recreationally in England and Wales. Magic mushrooms, and the wider group of hallucinogens, are the only other drugs for which usage has increased since 2015.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.