PARTY drug Ketamine could be reclassified as a Class A substance after its use hit record levels last year.
Ministers have ordered a review of the drug, currently a Class B substance, which can lead to serious health issues like permanent bladder and kidney damage.
Home Office Minister Diana Johnson said the recent rise is seen as “deeply concerning” – with around 300,000 people aged 16-59 reporting ketamine use in the year to March 2023.
She will write to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to consider whether it should be upgraded to Class A.
The review comes after a coroner said in November that it should be made a Class A drug after a coffee shop owner died of sepsis following long-term use.
It comes as a doctor and a woman known as the ‘Ketamine Queen’ will stand trial over Friends’ star Matthew Perry’s death after the actor died from the acute effects of the drug.
In the UK, the Class B drug with the maximum penalty for supplying and producing it is 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine.
Dame Diana Johnson, said: “Ketamine is an extremely dangerous substance and the recent rise in its use is deeply concerning.
“Through our Plan for Change and mission to make the nation’s streets safer, we will work across health, policing and wider public services to drive down drug use and stop those who profit from its supply.
“It is vital we are responding to all the latest evidence and advice to ensure people’s safety and we will carefully consider the ACMD’s recommendations before making any decision.”
