The National Crime Agency (NCA) has reported a dramatic rise in the use of the illegal drug ketamine across England.
In Home Office data seen by The Daily Telegraph, the NCA estimates that almost 25 tonnes of the substance was consumed in 2024 — more than double the previous year’s 10.6 tonnes.
The Government is currently considering whether to upgrade ketamine from a Class B to Class A drug. Commonly used in drink spiking, the addictive anaesthetic is linked to irreversible bladder and kidney damage.
‘Deeply concerning’
Compiling data from wastewater analysis, the NCA detected a ten per cent rise in the use of cocaine and an eleven per cent fall in the consumption of heroin last year.
In January, Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson announced that she would be seeking expert advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on the reclassification of ketamine.
She 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.”
Law enforcement
The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) recently called on the Westminster Government to halt the slide towards decriminalisation and strengthen law enforcement’s role to address illegal drug addiction.
According to the CSJ, a record 5,448 people died from drug poisoning in England and Wales in 2023, an 84 per cent increase since 2013.
Almost ten per cent of adults aged 16-59 in England and Wales reported taking illegal drugs in the past year, although the think-tank noted that this is likely to underestimate the scale of the problem.
Sophia Worringer, the CSJ’s Deputy Policy Director, said: “Pretending liberalisation is the answer is plainly wrong. Everywhere you look, it has not stamped out the illegal drug market or acted as a silver bullet to reduce drug deaths or drug use.”
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