Patterns of ketamine use among young injection drug users.
Stephen E Lankenau, Bill Sanders
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs March 2007 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2007.10399861 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethno-epidemiological qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | Young injection drug users under 25 years old in New York City |
| Topics | Esketamine Ketamine |
| Key findings | Patterns and frequencies of ketamine injection among young injectors are shaped by drug-using histories, experiential and sociocultural factors, and peer associations. More frequent ketamine injectors were characterized by initiating injection with ketamine, enjoying its effects, stable housing, living in or near New York City, and associating with other ketamine injectors. |
Abstract
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that has emerged as an increasingly popular choice among young drug users. Recent research indicates the presence of hidden populations of young people who inject ketamine in New York and other U.S. cities. Applying an ethno-epidemiological approach, the authors recruited 40 young injection drug users (IDUs) (< 25 years old) in New York City to explore health risks associated with ketamine use. This analysis looks at the varying patterns and frequencies of ketamine injection by examining personal, social, and cultural aspects of these young people's lives. We learned that drug-using histories, experiential dimensions, sociocultural characteristics, and associations with other young people help account for the different patterns of injecting ketamine within the sample. In particular, these findings indicate that young people who were more frequent ketamine injectors had the following characteristics: initiated injection drug use with ketamine; enjoyed the effects of ketamine, were stably housed; lived in the vicinity of New York City; and associated with others who also injected ketamine.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on ketamine, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Salvia divinorum use and phenomenology: results from an online survey. Journal of Psychopharmacology November 1, 2011
- Can We Better Understand, Diagnose, and Treat Ketamine-Induced Uropathy, and Can It Be Reversed? ICI-RS 2024. Neurourology and urodynamics March 1, 2025
- "Addicted to Euphoria": The History, Clinical Presentation, and Management of Party Drug Misuse. International review of neurobiology 2015
- Journey through the K-hole: phenomenological aspects of ketamine use. Drug and Alcohol Dependence March 19, 2008
- Towards an Explanation of Subjective Ketamine Experiences among Young Injection Drug Users. Addiction Research & Theory 2008
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