The number of deaths in which ketamine was mentioned in England and Wales has increased 16-fold over the past decade, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The substance was mentioned in 115 deaths registered in 2025, compared with 60 in 2024, 27 in 2020 and seven in 2015. The figures were published in the ONS report, Deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales: 2025 registrations.
The latest figures come amid concerns about the growing recreational use of ketamine, particularly among younger people, and the physical damage associated with prolonged consumption.
Lynne Weston, clinical services manager at Turning Point, in a news report in the Independent was quoted as saying, ketamine was becoming increasingly normalised in some social settings.
She also said addiction treatment admissions linked to ketamine in England had increased more than eight-fold over the past decade.
The ONS figures cover deaths registered in 2025, rather than all deaths that occurred during that year. Drug-poisoning deaths can take months or longer to register because many are subject to coroners' investigations and inquests. The ONS said the median registration delay in 2025 was 209 days in England and 253 days in Wales.
The wider figures showed 5,519 drug-poisoning deaths were registered in England and Wales in 2025, down from 5,565 in 2024. The age-standardised mortality rate fell from 93.9 to 92.4 deaths per million people, marking the first annual decrease since 2012.
However, the overall rate remained high, and the trend for ketamine moved in the opposite direction.
What are the health risks associated with ketamine use?
Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic used in medical and veterinary settings. Its non-medical use can cause short-term effects including hallucinations, nausea, agitation and an increased heart rate. Severe cardiovascular toxicity is also a concern.
Regular use can cause serious damage to the bladder and urinary tract, sometimes resulting in chronic pain and long-term complications. Other potential consequences include liver damage, severe weight loss and malnutrition.
Chronic pain may lead some users to take more ketamine in an attempt to relieve their symptoms, creating a cycle of further harm.
Dr James Morgan, lecturer in addiction and mental health at London Metropolitan University, also highlighted the growing health concerns among younger users.
The concerns are reflected in previous reporting on the pressure ketamine misuse is placing on hospital urology services. Ketamine-related hospitalisations have increased in England and Wales, with regular use linked to potentially irreversible damage to the bladder and urinary tract.
Would reclassifying ketamine reduce drug-related harm?
Ketamine has been classified as a Class B drug in the UK since 2014. Possession, supply and production without lawful authority are illegal. There have been calls to upgrade it to Class A amid concerns about its growing use and the perception that it is less harmful than other controlled substances.
However, addiction specialists have questioned whether tougher criminal penalties would reduce consumption or encourage people to seek treatment.
The wider ONS report also showed a change in the substances most frequently mentioned in drug-poisoning deaths. Cocaine overtook heroin or morphine for the first time since records began in 1993, with 1,233 deaths involving cocaine registered in 2025, compared with 1,210 involving heroin or morphine.
Although total drug-poisoning deaths fell slightly in 2025, the rise in ketamine-related registrations highlights the need to address the health consequences of its growing use, alongside access to effective addiction treatment and support.
