UK Ketamine Deaths Rise 20‑Fold; 197 Detected 2024

A King’s College London analysis of coroner reports found 696 deaths with illicit ketamine detections in England, Wales and Northern Ireland between 1999 and 2024 and documents roughly a 20‑fold rise since the mid‑2010s. Researchers project sharp recent‑year increases, noting 123 projected deaths where ketamine was the sole or primary cause in 2023 and reporting up to 197 deaths with ketamine detected in 2024. Most fatalities now occur in complex polydrug settings—opioids, cocaine, benzodiazepines and gabapentinoids are frequently co‑implicated—and the average number of substances per case has risen, with around nine in ten deaths ruled accidental. Use has expanded beyond younger recreational users to older, socioeconomically disadvantaged and dependent populations, and prevalence was estimated at about 299,000 people aged 16–59 reporting illicit use in 2024. Harms include bladder and kidney damage and dependence, and the findings have prompted calls for reclassification while researchers warn single‑drug policies alone are unlikely to prevent deaths and urge expanded harm reduction, treatment and education.