Overview

• The number of people entering treatment for ketamine addiction jumped from 426 in 2014-15 to 3,609 in 2023-24.
• Experts warn recreational users often consume doses far above medical prescriptions, raising the risk of irreversible bladder and kidney damage and psychiatric disorders.
• Its relatively low street price has boosted popularity with Generation Z and contributed to the rising demand for addiction support.
• Current psychiatric guidelines lack clear definitions for ketamine use disorders and health services report offering minimal drug-specific treatment options.
• The Home Office is evaluating a proposal to reclassify ketamine as a Class A drug, and clinicians are calling for coordinated investment in prevention, research and governance of its therapeutic use.