WHAT IS KETAMINE?
Ketamine is a general anesthetic normally used on animals as a painkiller, but which also has hallucinogenic qualities.

DOES IT HAVE ANY OTHER NAMES?

Some street names for Ketamine are, K, Super K, Special K, Techno Smack, Vitamin K.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

Ketamine for medical use is in liquid form, but the stuff that is used illegally has been dried out and is normally in the form of white or off white crystals, similar in appearance to cocaine, but also appears occasionally in tablet form.

HOW IS IT USED?

In liquid form it is injected but when in powder form it is usually snorted or wrapped in cigarette papers and swallowed (bombed)

WHAT’S THE LAW ON KETAMINE?

Ketamine is a class B drug it is illegal to possess, supply or make. Possession carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and/or a fine. Supplying Ketamine to other people, and this can include your friends, carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison and a fine. These are all maximum sentences. The actual sentence you receive will depend on several factors, such as your age and if you have been in trouble with the police before.

HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL?

As with all drugs, its effects will depend on how much you have taken, how you are feeling if you have taken any other drugs etc.

When snorted the effects will start within 5-10 mins with a speedy rush like feeling, and last between a one and two hours. When using small amounts people report feeling dreamy with the sensation of being outside or disconnected from their body, with larger amounts the effects become stronger and can become a fully blown hallucinogenic trip, sometimes referred to as a K-hole.

You can find it difficult to move your arms and legs, patterns may look like they are moving, colours will shift and change and you feel like you can ‘see the music’ a phenomenon know as synesthesia. Some users find this spiritually uplifting whilst others can find it quite scary. The trippy effects of Ketamine can be more full on than LSD or magic mushrooms.

• WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
  Larger amounts of Ketamine can leave you so out of it that your co-ordination falls apart and you are unable to move, not a great idea in the middle of a club. This can leave you very vulnerable. Try to have a friend around who can keep an eye on you when you are using Ketamine.
• Ketamine is an anesthetic, you are less likely to feel any pain and may be unaware you have injured yourself.
• The effects of Ketamine are unpredictable and are particularly dangerous when mixed with other drugs, including alcohol.
• There is increasing evidence that Ketamine can damage the bladder. If you experience an increased need to urinate, passing blood in urine (wee, piss), leakage of urine and pain on urination, consult your GP and let them know you use Ketamine.
• You can quickly build up a tolerance to Ketamine, so you need to take more to achieve the same effects. This is very habit forming and can have a very bad effect on your wallet, your body and your mind.