The Basics of Ketamine
Ketamine, also known as “K” or “Special K,” is a drug that was developed as an anesthetic for both humans and animals, and is most commonly used today as a horse tranquilizer. It has a very high incidence for recreational use as it produces hallucinatory effects. Ketamine was first associated with the clubbing scene, but it seems to be moving to more mainstream use around the world.
Ketamine was first developed as a surgical anesthetic and was used by mobile surgical units during the Vietnam War because it knocked people out quickly. But when people started complaining that the drug caused hallucinations and strange nightmares, doctors began using other anesthetics more frequently. It is still used in surgery in developing countries, though, because it is cheaper than other anesthetics.
Most of the world’s illicit ketamine comes from Asia-based pharmaceutical manufacturers who sell it to users. These Asian producers will sometimes relabel the packaging with names of unregulated chemicals before shipping, making it harder for customs to discover the shipments. Chinese authorities have tried to regulate the production of ketamine in recent years, and several large quantities were seized by authorities. In the US, the drug is most commonly acquired in Mexico, where it can be bought over the counter in veterinary clinics and smuggled across the border.
Ketamine is sold in powdered or liquid form. In powdered form, it resembles cocaine and can be injected, inhaled, or mixed with beverages. The drug can also be smoked by mixing it with marijuana or tobacco. When administered orally, ketamine is rapidly metabolized into norketamine, which has sedating effects. Users are unlikely to experience the psychotropic effects of the drug this way unless they ingest very high doses.
The effects of ketamine are similar to PCP and DXM, which both act as psychedelic drugs. When inhaled or injected, the hallucinatory effects last about 60 minutes; when ingested, the experience lasts up to two hours. At low doses, hallucinations are only seen when the user is in a dark room with his or her eyes closed; at medium and high doses, the effects are far more intense.
Ketamine produces a dissociative state, meaning that the user feels detached from his or her body. At high doses, a user may experience a “K-hole,” a state that is said to resemble schizophrenia. Users have reported intense hallucinations such as visions, perceptions of falling, fast movement and flying, “seeing God,” feeling connected to other users and objects, experiencing psychic connections, and sharing hallucinations and thoughts with other users.
Some users may not remember the most intense parts of the experiences after regaining consciousness, similar to forgetting a dream. At first, users may not remember their names or even know that they are human; movement can be difficult, making users feel like they don’t have a body at all.
Long-term side effects of ketamine use may lead to cognitive impairments including memory problems. A 2008 study in the British Medical Journal linked urinary tract disease with ketamine use; users reported an increased need to urinate, blood in the urine, urine leakage, and pain when urinating. These symptoms occur because the lining of the bladder becomes scarred, which can move to the ureters and cause kidney damage. Long-term users also report “K-Pains” or “Ketamine cramps,” which are likely to be caused by bladder deterioration.
A 2008 report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime found significantly increased use of ketamine in Asia, Europe, and North America. Asia has a particularly serious problem with the drug—it is the primary drug of choice in Hong Kong and ranks as the second most-abused drug in Singapore and the fifth in China.
A 2007 report from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction found that regular use of GHB and ketamine among clubbers ranged from 6.7 percent in the Czech Republic to almost 21 percent in Hungary. In Britain the number has grown from 65,000 users in 2000 to 90,000 in 2007.
Experts say the increase in use could be due to its relatively inexpensive cost. In Britain the price has dropped from 30 pounds a gram (approximately $45) to 10 pounds a gram, and in Hong Kong a dose costs about the same as a pack of cigarettes. In addition, many people can order it via the Internet, unlike LSD.
In Hong Kong, where the number of people under age 21 who have used ketamine jumped from one percent in 1999 to 73 percent in 2006, the drug is so prevalent that teenagers have been arrested for possessing and using it in schools. One 14-year-old girl had been using the drug since she was 10 and developed serious bladder problems.
“Students as young as 17 are becoming heavily involved in the drug,” said Pete Weinstock, who works for the British-based Bristol Drug Project charity. “It is now being used in so many different places like pubs and parks — where it used to be confined to one or two settings.”
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