Matthew Perry’s premature death shocked people around the globe. The actor, adored in his role as Chandler Bing on “Friends” in the 1990s and early 2000s, was open about his struggles mightily with drug addiction. Of late, he had returned to the spotlight as the author of his remarkably candid autobiography and as an advocate for sobriety and recovery from addiction.
Naturally, that was the first thing the public asked about his death – had Perry relapsed into drug use? He was found dead in his hot tub, and his demise was attributed to ketamine — a drug originally not intended for humans. So, why are people taking ketamine now, and why does it seem to be growing in popularity? Most importantly, however, here’s what you need to know about the dangers of using ketamine for any reason.
Ketamine was developed in 1963 as a replacement for the then-commonly used drug PCP. In humans, ketamine was first used by soldiers during the Vietnam War. It is an approved medical product as an injectable, short-acting anesthetic for use in humans and animals and a nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression.
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that has some hallucinogenic effects. It distorts the perception of sight and sound and makes the user feel disconnected and not in control, detached from their pain and environment. Ketamine can induce a state of sedation (feeling calm and relaxed), immobility, relief from pain, and amnesia (no memory of events while under the influence of the drug). However, people can abuse ketamine for the dissociative sensations and hallucinogenic effects. Ketamine has also been used to facilitate sexual assault.
Ketamine is typically passed out among friends and acquaintances, most often at nightclubs, parties, music festivals, and concerts. Along with other “club drugs,” it has become especially popular among teens.
Most of the ketamine illegally distributed in the United States is diverted or stolen from legitimate sources, particularly veterinary clinics, or smuggled into the United States from Mexico. Powdered ketamine is formed from pharmaceutical ketamine by evaporating the liquid using hot plates, warming trays, or microwave ovens, a process that results in the formation of crystals, which are then ground into powder.
9 Dangers Of Using Ketamine
Confusion
One of the most dangerous effects of ketamine is the helpless and/or confused state the user may enter after using the drug. The numbness, weakness, and impaired vision caused by the drug can put an individual in a highly vulnerable state. This is one of the reasons ketamine is often referred to as a date rape drug and is used to commit acts of sexual assault.
