Drugs of Abuse
Drug Type: Ketamine
Ketamine (Ketamine Hydrochloride is used as an animal tranquilizer for pet surgery)
Other Names: K, Special K, Ket, Kit Kat, Vitamin K, K-hole
What it looks like:
- Clear liquid contained in vial (should be labeled or look for evidence that a label was affixed and has been removed)
- White crystalline powder
How it is used:
- Injected
- Snorted
- Smoked
- Mixed with alcohol and drunk
Effect of the drug: Effects can be felt within minutes depending on method of ingestion and can last up to 24 hours.
- Hallucinations/distortions in vision, time, sense, identity
- Users describe an out of body experience-as if they are floating
- Euphoria
Negative Effects/Overdose Effects:
- Loss of motor skills and loss of coordination
- Aggressiveness/violence
- Vomiting
- Coma
- Death
What to look for:
- Respiratory problems
- Evidence of distortion in sensory perceptions
- Slow to respond, as if in a drunken stupor
- Sedation
Paraphernalia Associated with Drug Use:
- Labeled vials. Common tradenames for ketamine are Ketalar, Ketaset and Vetamine.
- Syringes/Needles
- Small baggies (popular for packaging)
Potential for Abuse:Ketamine is a very popular drug on the Rave scene and in nightclubs. Users generally purchase ketamine in clubs, at rave parties, or from friends. Ketamine costs about $20 per powdered dose, $50 to $70 per vial, or approximately $100 per gram. Songs have been written about being in the "K-hole," as the drug continues to gain popularity. Being in the "K-hole" means experiencing the hallucinogenic state caused by ketamine in which the user feels detached from reality. It is precisely because of these effects that ketamine may emerge as a "date-rape" drug. Producing ketamine in clandestine labs is a painstaking, difficult process, so most ketamine is stolen from veterinarian’s offices or pet hospitals
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