Ketamine: recent trends in supply and use

From medical use to the party scene

Ketamine is a substance with hallucinogenic and dissociative properties. It was first produced in the 1960s and is used in medicine for its anaesthetic effects. It first appeared on the French party scene in the late 1990s, driven by the alternative techno movement. Its use remains marginal in the general population, including young people, compared with other substances such as MDMA or cocaine. In 2023, 2.6% of adults aged 18 to 64 in France had experimented with ketamine and 0.6% had used it in the year preceding the survey.

Discreet expansion since the 2010s

Since the 2010s, however, observations by the TREND scheme have revealed a gradual spread of ketamine among a broader range of socio-cultural groups that are already familiar with drug use. This expansion has gone hand-in-hand with a change in perceptions: while ketamine was long seen as a dangerous substance, particularly because of its use in veterinary medicine and its intense effects, users now associate it with a variety of functions - seeking hallucinations, stimulant effects, relieving mental or physical suffering, and managing other problem uses such as alcohol, opioids or psychoactive medicines. Use contexts are also diversifying, with various festive events (clubs, festivals, etc.), solitary use and chemsex.

At the same time, availability of the substance has increased: lower prices, more supply networks and greater accessibility have encouraged wider distribution. This spread is not unlike that of cathinones, which were initially confined to chemsex and have gradually spread to a wider range of people in the 2020s.

Health issues and challenges for prevention policies

In addition to dependence, the most recent observations highlight significant damage to health among regular users, in particular urinary or nephrological problems. These developments raise a number of public health challenges: how to increase knowledge of these practices, adapt prevention and harm reduction strategies, and train professionals in these uses.