Situation potentially fuelled by people unable to access mental health services self-medicating, clinic founder says
Young people becoming addicted to ketamine is a national problem that is growing rapidly, a leading addiction psychiatrist has said.
Specialist ketamine clinics have recorded a surge over the past two years in the numbers of young people coming through their doors, many of whom have struggled to engage with mainstream treatments. NHS and private clinics have also reported significant rises.
Owen Bowden-Jones, a consultant psychiatrist and founder of the pioneering Club Drug clinic, said he had seen a definite increase in young people after “a pretty big lift off” in ketamine’s popularity, making the drug a national problem.
