There is a concerning rise in the misuse of Ketamine (Ket, Special K, Super K, Vitamin K, Kit-Kat, Horse Tranquiliser) amongst young people, both nationally and locally. An anonymised 2023 survey of more than 13,000 secondary school children from 185 schools across England reported 11% of 15-year-olds had been offered ketamine at some point. The same study, conducted for NHS England, suggested the use of ketamine among school children had more than doubled in the last decade from 0.4% in 2013 to 0.9% in 2023. (Source: Generation K: The disturbing rise of ketamine abuse among young people – BBC News).
This is becoming a more common issue for our 0-19+ and 0-25 services in Wirral, Cheshire East, St Helens and Knowsley and we want to make sure parents and carers are informed and supported in having important conversations about Ketamine misuse with their children and young people at home.
What is Ketamine?
Ketamine is a powerful dissociative anaesthetic that is sometimes used illegally as a recreational drug. It can have serious short term and long-term effects on both physical and mental health, especially in developing young people. It can be addictive and carries risks including memory loss, bladder damage, and serious injury due to its dissociative effects.
We strongly encourage you to have open and age-appropriate conversations with your child about the risks associated with using drugs like Ketamine. Young people often hear about substances from peers or social media, and a calm, honest discussion with a trusted adult can make a real difference.
Additional information to support your conversations
Here are some helpful resources that explain more about Ketamine and how to talk to children and teenagers about drug use:
- Honest information about drugs (FRANK)
- Drugs and Alcohol | Mental Health | Guide for Parents (YoungMinds)
- Ketamine – advice for staying safe (Change Grow Live)
- Ketamine factsheet – parents and carers.pdf (Cumbria Youth Substance Misuse)
If you have any concerns about your child or would like further support, please do not hesitate to contact one of our teams:
0-19+ Service Wirral – 0151 514 0219
0-19+ Cheshire East – 0300 123 4058
0-25 Service Knowsley – 0151 514 2666
0-19+ St Helens – 01744 411 277
Our teams are here to help.
