I had no idea ketamine was a problem with kids

Not only this but coke as well as pink coke… this is all first hand witnessed from Snapchat of lads that started taking all this whilst in last 2 years of high school, I’m the friend work colleague of a mum who’s son this relates to though he doesn’t do any of that and has distanced himself thankfully and leads a totally different life to them.

Yes one is the bad influence but that’s all it takes and a bit of peer pressure sadly.

When I was at school that doesn’t feel so long ago, having left in 2012 (scary to think it is a while ago!!)- it was weed and psychedelics, we had a drug talk in our final year but no one really related at the time, it was about coke but this didn’t happen to many of us until early 20s.

Scary stuff but equally important to listen to the young ones speaking out about it, so more education can be done to relate closely and hopefully really speak out to some of these kids!!!

I suppose it's like any drug isn't it, many of us take them in our youth but don't get addicted and just take it on occasion. It's the ones who end up addicted that are really at risk, is it much more addictive than other drugs?

I wasn't aware of Ket until I was in my teens and we learned all about which drugs did what in the magazines and in school classes on the dangers of drugs - I was a geek so knew all the theory but never took it. First knew of someone actually taking/dealing ket when I was 18 through some guys we met on holiday. None of my friends nor I took it. I've known far more people who've smoked weed, snorted coke, taken pills but ketamine was a bit of a horse tranquiliser joke. It felt like ket was more hardcore and it was never something I came across or was offered at parties, in clubs etc.

Now I mostly know about the boom in ket use from the news, documentaries, the One Show etc.

15 years or so ago I started working in hostels. This was peak ket in my town. Cheap, available etc. already we had teenagers in town with crystallisation in their organs (liver or kidneys, can't remember). I heard of colostomy bags once or twice. Then it seemed to disappear locally. I remember one heroin user resident, proper junkie, who I would spend ages chatting with and with who mI used to fill in my knowledge gaps telling me he couldn't get in with key and called it "a dirty high". Don't really know quite what he meant but he would take most stuff, just not that. Still does in fact, I see him around town still.

MNers have done coke and mdma and speed and all sorts and said how much they enjoyed it.

I imagine it is like urban legend as people wouldn't admit to that when I was a teen! Deffo should feature in any anti drug campaign/tv ad.

You assumed everyone on MN took ket in their youth ?

I genuinely assumed from what I read on MN that you all did drugs when you were young but now you're all well paid mature adults who have kids and a family and it's "just part of being young".

My husband & I were talking about this earlier after seeing it on the news and we were surprised at how young these kids are starting to take it. We are nearly 30 and have friends who have taken ket during events/festivals etc over the years but it’s not something we were even aware of as young as 12/13, I remember by the time we were leaving school so 15/16 there were a few kids who were taking “bubble”, still not sure what that was I think some kind of MDMA mix but even then it wasn’t many kids and it definitely wasn’t a widespread thing.

I don’t know if the people taking it are or were really aware of the impact it can have. I know certainly our friends who have taken it weren’t aware at the time and now they are wouldn’t take it again but then with kids I’m not sure anything would really put them off. It’s the same as the balloon canister things, kids now are all well aware of how badly they can go wrong but most have a “yeah but that won’t happen to ME” and continue using them.

It is cheap to buy though in comparison to coke so maybe that is part of the appeal but even then 12/13 feels SO young to even be thinking of taking drugs of any kind!

I knew a young man who had issues with it about 30 years ago. He lost about 30 IQ points and had to relearn how to read. Which was exactly what happened to Jazzer in The Archers around the same time.

Insane. DS told me he took it a couple of times at uni. I was not impressed. I might have to show him this article although he’s graduated now and hopefully more sensible.

I don’t remember it being a thing in the 90s, that was E or coke, but I stuck to weed if I did anything. We were all from ‘nice’ families.

Is the incontinence/nappy thing well known among the kids taking it? Surely that makes it massively unappealing?

Why are 13 yos doing this. I thought the drug taking starts at 16

Children as young as 13 treated for ‘ketamine bladder’

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/9d6809000e9aae90

A breakdown here of the demographics attending hospital through this drug.

I certainly didn't, but I'm old (60s). I didn't do raves as I don't like the music and preferred live music. I grew up in London.

I was never into drugs... alcohol was my drug of choice. I smoked cannabis occasionally but drugs weren't a thing with my friends though I knew those who did. But those I knew did speed, coke, e etc. Ketamine wasn't a thing back then.

The people I know who used to take it were the rich hippy types. It was a bit of a vibe in our 20s if you had dreadlocks and floaty dresses to go around half baked and zoned out. Never got the attraction myself. The one friend who did it that I still am in touch with can't go anywhere without a loo if she has had anything with caffeine in now. She often has to go quite suddenly. Sadly people still seem to think horse tranq's are a great idea.

I assumed on MN everyone did it when they were young. They enjoyed it but now are normal adults with normal enjoys.

I've never touched drugs in my life. My parents raised me correctly.

I was tempted but resisted because my mum made me promise not to do. I'm glad I don't have bladder issues.

Yes. My son has private and state friends, and so goes to different parties/different scenes. It is everywhere. It’s a real worry to be honest, and it’s very cheap!!

Thanks @wishingonastar101 it's useful to understand why this one is attractive. I wasn't aware tbh.

A few of the boys in DDs circle use it. Dd says it makes them weird and boring at parties. Her group is a mix of state and private all professional middle class families so not a thing that’s “over there” in certain demographics necessarily.

A girl I know has 2 kids- she is a senior teacher and at a complete loss wondering where she went wrong. She has a DS and a DD both completely normal background- both ket addicts.
DD wears nappies because her bladder is fucked.
It’s unfathomable how bad this shit is 🥺

I am mid 40's and it was very much around when I was in my 20's - big on the party scene. I know multiple people who had serious, long term addictions. Some who had bladder issues but mostly mental health issues. One friend burnt her stomach holding a hot water bottle on her to ease the cramps. One guy friend was pissing blood. Another died in the bath after taking it...

The appeal comes from being able to be really off your head for a short period of time. Like being really drunk for 1-2 hours and then sober. This is one of the reasons it appeals to teens. They can get off their heads and then go home and be normal. Can't do that with drink or e or coke even.

It's also mad cheap. In the 00's it was £20 a gram but for medical grade - bought in India and shipped over. Now it's cheaper - like £5 - £10 but it's cheap Chinese crap stuff. The kids take loads of it as it's not very strong. And the volumes of it are making it more harmful.

It was thought that it was not addictive in the 00's. It very, very much is.

It’s the drug of choice now and it’s rife. If you have a young person they will be offered ket. It’s very frightening the Viscious cycle these young people get into, only taking Ketamine in the end to dull the bladder pain. It is so sad.

Cocaine has had its hey day. We need more education in schools surrounding ketamine.

The anaesthetist gave me an injection of ketamine before the rest of my drugs for surgery last year. Made me feel immediately dizzy, faint and nauseous.

My DD is 21 and I knew it was an issue at her school when she was about 14 (so in flipping lockdown). We live in a rural area so I don’t know if that’s why it was more common. Young Farmers parties are notorious for it.