A new analysis led by NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS) at the University of Florida found a 349% rise in seizures of illicit ketamine by drug enforcement throughout the United States from 2017 to 2022.
The researchers fear that any black market powder in the U.S. may be contaminated with fentanyl, as it is now turning up in heroin and cocaine.
They also fear that media and medical promotion of prescription ketamine may be fuelling black-market use and availability.
The study findings, published in JAMA Psychiatry, suggest that the rising use of ketamine can increase the likelihood that people who use recreationally or who use inadvertently may encounter an adulterated and potentially harmful version of the drug.
“This dramatic rise in ketamine seizures by law enforcement may be indicative of rising nonmedical and recreational use,” said study author Joseph J. Palamar, PhD, MPH, an associate professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone Health and a researcher in the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research at NYU School of Global Public Health.
“Unlike illegal ketamine years ago, most illegally obtained ketamine today is not pharmaceutical grade and is sold in powder form which may increase the risk that it contains other drugs such as fentanyl.
“Unintentional exposure to fentanyl can lead to overdose. Though the risk of overdose from ketamine alone is low, some people who use the drug report negative dissociative side effects, such as feeling dizzy or nauseous.”
The team also found that the total weight of ketamine seized in the U.S. increased from 127 pounds in 2017 to about 1,550 pounds in 2022, an increase of more than 1,100%. The highest numbers of seizures were reported in Tennessee, Florida, and California, but it is unclear if these states have the highest usage since the location of seizures does not necessarily reflect the final destination of the drug shipments.
Palamar hopes the findings will better inform prevention and harm reduction strategies to protect the public from increased exposure to black market ketamine and possible adverse effects from use.
