Deaths following illicit ketamine use in England, Wales and Northern Ireland 1999–2024: An update report to inform the reclassification debate
Jade Pullen, John Corkery, Rebecca Mcknight, Caroline S Copeland
Journal of Psychopharmacology September 29, 2025 DOI: 10.1177/02698811251373058 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Northern ireland Harm Legislature Legislation Medical emergency Criminology Medline Injury prevention Suicide prevention Poison control |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Deaths following illicit ketamine use have accelerated, with increasing complexity of polydrug use and socio-economic vulnerability, requiring policy responses beyond single-substance legislative controls. |
Abstract
There has been an acceleration in deaths following illicit ketamine in recent years, which are increasingly featuring complex patterns of polydrug use and socio-economic vulnerability. Policy responses must extend beyond single-substance legislative controls to encompass harm reduction, treatment integration, and social support strategies.