Ketamine seized in Bristol police raids
Ketamine, a drug normally used as an anaesthetic, is being sold on the streets of Bristol for as little as £6 a gram.
Fifteen kilos of the drug in crystalline form – known as Angel Dust – were found at a flat in Barton Hill.
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Ketamine seized in Bristol police raids
Police seized the ketamine during a Safer Bristol Day of Action. It had a street value of about £225,000 but will now be destroyed.
Because it is a Class C drug many people who have taken it do not think it is harmful.
However 150 people have gone to Bristol Drugs Project seeking help after developing urinary tract problems.
A few people have even had to have their bladder removed.
The emerging threat from ketamine was highlighted at the launch of Tackling Drugs Week, which was held at the Addiction Recovery Agency (ARA) in King Street.
ARA, Bristol Drugs Project and the NHS Bristol Specialist Drug and Alcohol Service are the three main services helping drug users in the city.
The number of problematic users of heroin and cocaine has gone down from 8,000 five years ago to 7,100 today.
The drop is the result of people getting into treatment far quicker than before.
But the new threat is from ketamine.
Safer Bristol director Alison Comley warned that ketamine is fast becoming a popular drug in some parts of the city among young people.
She said: "Ketamine is a powerful general anaesthetic, mainly used by vets when operating on horses. But in humans it depresses the nervous system and causes a temporary loss of body sensation.
"It can also cause perceptual changes and powerful hallucinations like LSD. Users can trip for up to an hour and may feel after-effects for some hours. Even with recreational use it can do irreversible damage to the body, especially to your bladder."
During the whole of last year police seized 34 grams of ketamine compared to 17 kilos in February and March this year.
It is usually stolen from pharmaceutical supplies, often in China or bought over the counter in India.
It has been widely available for a decade and is now part of the club scene.
On average it costs £10 a gram or £6 if bought in bulk.
At a higher dose ketamine can cause temporary paralysis, leaving users vulnerable to assault and theft.
Maggie Telfer, of the Bristol Drugs Project, said: "We started seeing the first people with problems related to it about a year ago.
"There are two sets of problems. Those using high doses of the drug have urinary tract problems, such as ulcerative cystitis to very serious bladder problems."
The urology department at Southmead Hospital has been treating patients and carried out cutting-edge research on ketamine and bladder problems.
Ms Telfer said: "We have seen 150 people but there are many more out there. We recognise a lot of people won't go anywhere near a drug service so it is important that we get the message across in any way we can."
Images of a man with a horse's head experiencing some of the bad effects of ketamine will be beamed onto the Council House at 10pm on Friday night aimed at the young people who will be walking up Park Street.
Now Safer Bristol would like to see the number of problematic drug users in the city reduced by 50 per cent over the next three years.
Ms Comley said: "This is an ambitious vision that will require us to work in new ways and within new partnerships. We need commitment from everyone in the city to find the best way to achieve this."
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by Emmalia, Bristol
Monday, May 17 2010, 6:46PM
“I Am a good friend of the late Caleb Morris and his mother Shielmor! Do any of you actually know the true effects that ketamine has, because I very much doubt you do!! But I am more than sure if you lost someone close to you through ketamine you would want it want this drug to be reclassified to Class-A.
I know I do!!!! And I will do everything in my power to try and make it happen! Aj you are just tarring all drug users with the same brush and they are no all as you say they are! Caleb was the most loving, sweetest guy I know and would never stab/rob/murder people you could say that about someone who drinks heavily so get it right! So many of you are ignorant and people like Caleb get the blame for this! What about the dealers are they not the ones to blame? They get young children and adults hooked so they can make a living never mind the consequences on the person they have sold it too, it¿s a vicious circle! Its young people trying to fit into society and drugs like ketamine are readily available and are so easy to get your hands on as it¿s as easy to get as cigarettes and alcohol, there destroying lives but that¿s ok right? Until people are fully aware of the effects of Ketamine on the lives of people and there families then nothing will be done! And it¿s sad so, codeine is a class B and is readily available in most chemists so YES ketamine should be reclassified to Class-A.”
by Zebedee, London
Thursday, April 08 2010, 3:42AM
“Ketamine does undoubtedly screw you up both mentally and physically. It is purely a mental addiction yet is literally 1 of the hardest drugs to come off. Alot of good can be gained from it though the end result is the same for everyone, doing it all day,everyday and to he'll with the consequences!
It is still used all over the world as an anasthetic, mainly for children as it does not affect your respiratory system. Also used as field anasthetic in wars and by all ambulances for pain instead of morphine again as it don't effect ur respiratory.
I have seen k go from a pretty underground but still heavill abused substance to today where it's everywhere with people having a line to go to the pub!
However bad some effects may be I don't believe the answer is simply to highten it's classification! Since when ever in history has prohibition worked.education is the answer!”
by Shielmor Twomey, Bristol
Friday, March 26 2010, 11:42AM
“I am the Mother of the late Caleb Morris - see news article Thursday 4th March 2010 ' Mother fights to reclassify the drug that destroyed her son ' I want this drug to be reclassified to Class-A.
I'm now getting facts that ketamine plays with the mind and also known to destroy the bladder . It's use is on the increase in and around Bristol as well as other cities .
Because it is cheaper than heroin & cocaine youngsters are buying it no matter what the consequences are.
Whoever showed the horses head on the building for people to see what can and has no doubt happened I believe is a brilliant wake-up sign for these youngsters ..
My Son was an intelligent , charismatic , eloquent and a well-travelled young man .
When you read the article in the Evening Post it may help you understand why he turned to ketamine .
We have to tell other families the dangers and horrors this drug produces . It destroyed Caleb's life . Please follow this link :http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/ketamine/ketamine.shtml
Please help me get this drug reclassified that it may save another family having to go through the hell i've been through .
Caleb's Mum.”
by Adrian, bristol
Thursday, June 11 2009, 7:50AM
“aj, bristol - u don't have a clue what u are talking about!”
by AJ, Bristol
Wednesday, June 10 2009, 8:15PM
“All drugs should cause irreversible damage to the users bodies.........oh sorry, most of them do........the brain!!!hence why drug users stab/rob/murder people and blame their drug habit. Everyone who takes c**p like this deserves a long slow painful death!!! Most of this country's crime rate would fall accordingly!!”