Ketamine, also known as the ‘date rape drug’ or ‘party drug’, is used medically as an anaesthetic for pain relief and as an antidepressant. It is banned in India and several European countries, and has been on the list of controlled substances in the US since 1999.

On 28 September, ketamine filled in branded toothpaste tubes worth Rs 25 lakh was seized in Delhi, reportedly. The seizure has sparked curiosity and concern about the drug, which is manufactured and supplied under the special provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

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Why Do You Need to Know About Ketamine?

Categorised as a “dissociative anesthetic”, ketamine induces a dreamlike trance detached from reality and the immediate environment, while also making it difficult to move, which explains its abuse as a date rape drug.

As an anesthetic, the drug is used in powdered or liquid form, and is usually used on animals. Ways of consuming the drug include mixing it in drinks, snorting, injecting, or smoking in joints or cigarettes, among others.

The abuse of the drug has risen significantly in the last couple of years. Speaking to The Quint, a source in the Narcotics Control Bureau said seizures of the drug have gone up by 70 percent over the last five years.

From 2013 to 2015, more than 30 kilograms of the drug were seized. It has become even more popular because making it is not expensive, the source added.

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Medical Effects of 'Special K'. No, Not the Cereal

It can also cause hallucinations, nausea, along with causing frequent desires to consume the drug.

Dr Amitabh Parti, additional director, internal medicine, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, said that the substance by itself is not harmful. It is administered for its anesthetic qualities in medical usage under proper supervision and in regulated quantities, he added.

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Dr Parti said people are in the habit of mixing different kinds of drugs in the form of ‘cocktails’ to ‘enhance’ their effect. Ketamine in itself won’t lead to a trip longer than an hour or two, but mixing it with other agents to prolong this can complicate matters further.

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(With inputs from PTI.)