Ketamine is a strong anesthetic drug, usually sold in liquid or powdered form. Ketamine is predominately used in veterinary surgical procedures like spaying or neutering pets. According to the Drug Abuse Warning Network, individuals aged 12 to 25 accounted for 74 percent of the ketamine emergency department mentions in the United States in 2000 – a scary statistic for parents. While ketamine has been approved for human use in medical and clinical settings when administered by trained professionals, it is a potentially deadly drug when used illegally even one time, and ketamine abuse can have serious long-term consequences for users. 

VIDEO: What You Should Know About Ketamine

How Ketamine Is Used

Ketamine in liquid form is commonly added to alcoholic beverages or liquids or injected intravenously on its own. Powdered ketamine is commonly snorted in a similar manner to cocaine. In some cases, ketamine powder is pressed or added to an empty capsule to be swallowed. 

Effects of Ketamine On Teens

The effects of illegal ketamine use vary from user to user. However, there is no safe amount of ketamine – even small amounts can cause coma, death and respiratory failure. The effects of ketamine are usually felt within 30 seconds if injected, 5–10 minutes if snorted and 10-20 minutes if swallowed. Ketamine often causes users to experience negative effects including panic, agitation, anxiety, temporary paralysis, blurred vision and speech, depression and paranoia. 

Ketamine and Alcohol

Ketamine can cause fatal respiratory problems on its own, but when added to alcohol, the effects are multiplied to a dangerous level, potentially putting the user in a coma or resulting in death. Both alcohol and ketamine can also cause distortions of both regular vision and sound, making dangerous accidents much more likely, particularly if the user is trying to operate a motor vehicle. The combination of ketamine and alcohol can also cause nausea and the user to quickly fall asleep because they are both depressants, resulting in the user choking on their own vomit.

Intravenous Use Of Ketamine

Injecting liquid ketamine intravenously is a common method of using ketamine, and it is one of the most dangerous methods. It is very difficult for non-medical users to measure ketamine before use, and an overdose can quickly result in respiratory failure, coma and death. Sharing of needles is also common among intravenous drug user. Sharing dirty needles can increase the user’s risk of blood-borne illnesses including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis A, B, and C. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 percent of AIDS cases can be traced back to intravenous drug use.  

Teen Addiction To Ketamine

Ketamine is a highly addictive drug. Regular users of ketamine can quickly develop a high tolerance and dependence on the drug, causing them to use potentially deadly amounts of the drug to achieve the same effects on a frequent basis. Ketamine addiction can be both psychological and physical, and regular users will often take drastic measures to obtain more of the drug. During ketamine withdrawal, users commonly experience intense cravings, nightmares, anxiety, muscle tremors, excessive sweating and irregular or rapid heartbeat. Intense withdrawal symptoms often last 4 to 5 days.  

Long-Term Abuse Of Ketamine

Long-term abuse of ketamine can result in regular headaches, flashbacks that can often be unpleasant and disorienting, loss of sense of smell, temporary or permanent negative changes in mood and personality, impaired concentration and reduced memory function according to the Australian Drug Foundation. When paired with alcohol, ketamine abuse can result in decreased liver function as well as the possibility of cirrhosis, heart failure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and an increased risk of certain types of cancer according to the Mayo Clinic.  

Parents: Know Your Enemy

Ketamine use is a reality that parents have to face. It could be in your child’s school and peers may already use or have access to it. Ketamine is commonly referred to under numerous street names including “K,” “special K,” “vitamin K,” “Ket,” “Jet,” “honey oil,” “super C,” and “Purple.” Knowing the common street names of ketamine can help parents monitor whether their children are in danger of being subjected to the deadly drug.