Addiction levels are rising, warns narcotics chief
Ketamine is now as popular as heroin was 20 years ago, especially among younger drug addicts, and its popularity is increasing despite repeated police crackdowns, a police chief said yesterday.
'If youngsters' demand continues to rise, the problem of ketamine abuse will never be solved,' Narcotics Bureau head Chief Superintendent Kenny Ip Lau-chuen said.
Central Registry of Drug Abuse figures show 581 ketamine abusers under 21 were recorded in the first quarter of this year, compared to 323 in the same period last year.
A total of 612 people in that age group were arrested on ketamine-related charges in the first quarter of the year, compared to 278 for the same period last year.
The amount of ketamine seized also trebled to 52.5kg in the first six months of this year, while 27kg of heroin was seized in the same period.
Mr Ip believes the drug's powerful anaesthetic effect is why it is so popular.