Proposal: Ketamine 'should be class B' drug

Government advisers will recommend that Ketamine should be categorized as Class B instead of its current position of Class C.

12:41 10 December 2013

Following the presentation of new evidence where Ketamine is proven to have damaging effect on the bladder, government advisers are now set to make a recommendation to categorize the drug as Class B. It is currently under Class C category.

Should this push through, illegal possession of Ketamine could lead to a five-year jail sentence. This drug is an anaesthetic used for operations but has become a popular recreational drug.

Based on figures released by Home Office, there were about 120,000 people aged 16-59 in England and Wales who took Ketamine last year.

Last year, Home Secretary Theresa May had asked the Council to review evidence on Ketamine as it became popular. New evidence that was gathered suggests that some people take large amount of the drug every day, risking severe damage to their bladders. In some cases, users had their bladders removed.

Ketamine will now be categorized as Class B, which is the same category for amphetamines and cannabis.

The council is also expected to recommend tighter controls on how the drug is stored by hospitals and pharmacies. 

Molly, a 25-year-old who took Ketamine said: "I'm actually peeing blood - like sizeable blood clots. Ketamine being Class C is completely ridiculous. It's not taken that long for me to completely ruin my bladder.”