The documentary explores the rising popularity of ketamine among young Brits, highlighting its widespread use, cultural impact, and serious health risks. It features interviews with users, dealers, and experts, revealing a disturbing trend of addiction and physical harm, including severe bladder damage. Despite its casual perception as a party drug, the documentary uncovers the dark side of ketamine abuse and its devastating consequences.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Ketamine has become the generation-defining drug for young Brits, with use rising 30% year on year.
2. The majority of ketamine users are between 16 and 24 years old.
3. Ketamine is no longer an underground choice and is now as mainstream as cocaine or ecstasy.
4. Ketamine can be sold in large quantities, with some dealers selling hundreds of grams in a week.
5. The way people dance has changed due to ketamine, with a new style of dance known as the "ketty dance".
6. Ketamine is a dissociative drug and a tranquilizer.
7. When taken in large quantities, ketamine can cause a person to enter a "K-hole", a state of being between consciousness and unconsciousness.
8. Ketamine can be addictive, and some users experience bladder problems, including frequent urination, pain, and blood in their urine.
9. One in four people who use ketamine even once a month experience some kind of bladder symptom.
10. Ketamine damages the epithelial cells of the bladder lining, which can lead to scarring and a reduced ability to expand the bladder.
11. Heavy users of ketamine often don't notice the symptoms of bladder damage because ketamine is a painkiller.
12. If a person stops using ketamine frequently, their bladder will almost always repair itself.
13. A small minority of ketamine users may need to have their bladders removed if they continue to use the drug.
14. Ketamine is commonly used by veterinarians to anesthetize animals, including horses.
15. A dose of 2.2 to 2.5 milligrams of ketamine per kilo is typically used to anesthetize a horse.
16. One gram of ketamine is enough to knock out a horse.
17. Ketamine is water-soluble and can be dissolved in the body.
18. Cooking ketamine can make it more potent, but it does not reduce the risk of bladder damage.
19. Some people use ketamine to self-medicate for negative feelings like depression or anxiety.
20. Ketamine can cause a person to experience a "fugue state", a level of dissociation that can be addictive.
21. Bristol is known as the spiritual home of ketamine, with a high concentration of ketamine seizures in the city.
22. Ketamine has been linked to bladder problems, including a condition known as "Bristol bladder".
23. Some people who use ketamine experience suicidal thoughts and feelings of possession by the drug.
24. Ketamine can be addictive, and some users experience withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop using the drug.
25. There are support groups and rehabilitation centers available to help people overcome ketamine addiction.