The dangers of ketamine have been shared by police amid rising use among teens.
Merseyside Police launched a campaign to alert young people of the health risks of using the drug earlier this year, and have took part in a week long social media effort to remind teenagers and young people across St Helens and the wider Merseyside area just in time for school/college holidays this month.
The efforts by police come as ketamine use among adults in the UK is currently the highest on record, with "people aged 16 to 24 almost four times as likely to use ketamine as those aged 16 to 59."
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The ECHO spoke to an 18-year-old from the St Helens area on the prevalence of the drug in teenage culture in the borough. The teen, who asked not to be named, said: "A lot of people do use it, I know people that have taken it into college and used it there, it's mad.
"At almost every party you go to there'll be people using ket or other drugs, it's just like the norm now but I've seen a people in bad states off it- not able to move or speak, and most of the time their mates don't help them, they'll just be laughing and filming for Snapchat or something."
The drug, which is a class B controlled substance, is used primarily as a form of anaesthesia, particularly on animals. However, with recreational use, it can produce dissociative, trance-like sensations. Excessive use can lead to a "ket hole" which can cause "feelings of being disconnected from or unable to control one's own body, also sometimes affecting the ability to speak and move around easily."
One statement from Merseyside Police said: "Did you know Ketamine or Ket, Special K, Donkey dust, Super K, K, Vitamin K and Kenny as it is also known, is highly addictive and can cause serious harm. Becoming addicted to Ketamine can make it nearly impossible to stop without professional help due to the chemical changes in the brain.
"If you need help with drug addiction Young Peoples Drug and Alcohol Team works with young people up to the age of 19, you can contact them by phoning 01744 677990 or email ypdaat@sthelens.gov.uk Further information can be found on the website https://orlo.uk/ZEqvT
"For adults please contact Change Grow Live (CGL) on 01744 410752. Further information is available on their website https://orlo.uk/EA1t0 "
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