Increase in Bladder and Urinary Tract Damage Cases Due to Ketamine Abuse
Warning for Young Adults... Classified as a Class B Drug
There has been a warning about a sharp increase in hospitalizations among young people in England and Wales for urological conditions such as cystitis. Experts point out that this trend is directly linked to the recent surge in ketamine abuse.
According to the nonprofit academic media outlet 'The Conversation' on January 17 (local time), an article by Dr. Heba Ghazal, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy and pharmacist at Kingston University in the UK, was published. In the article, Dr. Ghazal warned, "The health damage caused by the ketamine craze has reached a critical stage."
According to data from the UK Office for National Statistics, domestic ketamine use has increased by more than 250% since 2015, making it the drug with the largest increase in single-drug use during this period. The UK classified ketamine as a Class B drug in 2014, but its low price and easy accessibility have meant that the abuse problem has not diminished.
In particular, it is known that long-term ketamine abuse can cause irreversible damage to the bladder and urinary tract. Symptoms include frequent urination, nocturia, urgency, incontinence, hematuria, inflammation, and pain, making daily life difficult, and in some cases, leading to permanent damage.
A significant proportion of the increase in hospitalized patients has been among teenagers in their late teens and young adults in their early twenties. This coincides with the period of increased ketamine use. According to statistics, the number of reported child cases related to ketamine rose from 512 (5% of all drug-related reports) in 2021-2022 to 1,465 (9%) in 2025, surpassing the number of ecstasy-related reports for the first time since data collection began.
Ketamine was approved as a human anesthetic in 1970, but later became known as a 'party drug' after being introduced into club and party culture. It induces dissociation, making users feel separated from their surroundings, and its hallucinogenic, stimulating, and analgesic effects last for one to two hours. It is also known for rapid tolerance development, leading users to seek higher doses.
Alison Downey, a urologist in South Yorkshire, said in an interview with The Guardian, "The surge in ketamine-related hospitalizations is pushing hospital capacity to its limits," adding, "Because this is an addiction issue rather than just a urological condition, it cannot be solved by a single department within the healthcare system."
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