I had no idea ketamine was a problem with kids

Sounds like we need a War on Drugs

I don't get the appeal either, especially as it inevitably results in serious bladder problems. I suppose we're older and wiser though, but still - the bladder issues it causes!! Even know it all teenage me would not have wanted to risk that FGS!!

I can't understand why it's become a recreational drug. I work in veterinary. It's an immobiliser.
I've seen people on it, literally stuck to the wall/sofa unable to move. I mean we use it as an anesthetic to operate on animals., although we have to add other drugs to relax the muscles otherwise it can cause rigidity.
I can't imagine the appeal of making yourself so vulnerable that you cannot physically move your body!

Bloody hell.

Bulk deliveries of nappies to young offenders' services?

That's something that needs to be shoved in all our faces, particularly youngsters' before they get onto ketamine.

To be fair plenty of 90s ravers were from nice families. The younger ones were just bored AF living in the suburbs and it was some kind of escape. But you didn't get kids taking 10 grams a day in the secondary school toilets.

@Doubleknowwhere do you think? Same place as they get weed etc.
It’s pretty common - my kids went to private school and I’d say many kids at least tried it.

It destroys the bladder to the point that a lot of teenagers who use it are now incontinent to the point nappies are held in stock at most youth offending services in my area.

it’s a huge safeguarding concern as much as young parents using it and neglecting their kids and teenage use

Absolutely

This. It was a clubbers thing. Now it’s popular among young teens, who are from normal and nice families

I was so shocked this morning. I'd had no idea it was rife among children. I mean, not good at any age, but 13 year olds!

"Peeing a jellyfish" refers to some of the bladder lining being stripped off and passed out.

Child ketamine users getting bladder damage describe 'peeing a jellyfish'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqgk52ln68xvo

I don’t remember it being a thing when I was young hash, speed and ecstasy were easily available.

I had it once in hospital ( I had a nasty break and they wanted to manipulate it to ensure blood supply) in all fairness I was pretty high on morphine too but it just made me blank out which didn’t seem all that fun.

This is bloody awful.

There was a panorama documentary on it a year ago. The bladder issues alone are horrific.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002gtgn

It's a big problem round here. Wasn't a thing when I was young ( back in the dark ages)
Some kids at my dc's school would off their heads on ket at school day in, day out.
School must have been aware but I think it was a bigger problem than they wanted to acknowledge so made a big thing about vaping instead.

We appear to have drifted into a twilight world where nobody will even try to admit the War on Drugs has achieved anything, and yet - almost because it hasn't - we can't do anything else.

I saw a news article about it a few months back and it was very disturbing -,the use amongst relatively young teens . There are also special bladder clinics in a lot of areas to deal with the growing problem .

It has been a monumental waste of time, as it wasn't designed for actually tackling drug use. Same for the American WoD.
We'll spend another 50 years killing and criminalising people worldwide, and drug use will continue to get out of hand. You have to deal with the appetite for the drugs.

This. It isn’t just a bit of dribbling or smelling like urine. The effects are severe and lifelong.

There is not enough information on the dangers of ketamine.

Absolutely rife here when DS was at school and that was 10+ years ago.

I also knew a couple of people 20 odd years ago who took it. I could never get why, the phrase 'a-hole in the k-hole' was correct. The idea that children that young are going to suffer life long bladder problems is horrible.

It is inevitable if you are going to keep taking it. If you do it once a year, probably not. But a high proportion of drug users don’t have that sort of self-control. If you are a regular user of ketamine, it will cause damage. Typical, “it won’t happen to me” attitude.

And that’s precisely the point. Why are people taking a drug that is known to cause cramps, pain and incontinence. That sort of risk is insane.

Ketamine used to be quite niche in that it was mainly pretty hardcore ravers that tended to use it. Like people into squat parties etc. and it wasn't really a 'mainstream' recreational drug until a few years ago. And addiction wasn't widely discussed. As far as I know.

Now it's massive apparently. And the amount people do is mad. Totally fucking up their bladders permanently. It's really sad.

It definitely was a thing in the 90s-10s but nowhere near as popular as things like E or coke. Now I think it's even more widespread than that?

And vaping spice.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/aug/06/psychotic-cardiac-arrest-children-vaping-prison-drug-spice

I was shocked too, found out about a year ago when a friends daughter had to have her bowel removed and now uses a colostomy bag for life. She hates it, she’s only 25.

I think I first became aware of it decades ago form the Archers when 'Jazzer' broke into the vets to steal it to sell.....