Tougher sentencing guidelines for ketamine and Ecstasy were imposed in the Court of Appeal after research revealed the extent of their abuse. The Narcotics Bureau said there had been a steep rise in seizures of ketamine - from 296kg in 2005 to 1,006kg in 2006. The situation for Ecstasy was similar. In 2005, 47,694 tablets were seized, rising to 104,296 tablets a year later. And the retail price of each drug has dropped considerably. A gram of ketamine cost HK$325 in 2001, but last year this had dropped to HK$147. The price of a tablet of Ecstasy fell from HK$178 to HK$64 over the same period. Ketamine and Ecstasy are the most popular drugs used by Hongkongers under the age of 21. From March 2001 to January 2007 there were reports of 19 deaths from the consumption of ketamine and Ecstasy or a combination of the two. Drug users commonly take fast-acting ketamine when the effects of Ecstasy begin to wear off. Ben Cheung Kin-leung, an assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong's psychiatry department, told the court that the effects of the drugs lead to psychological and physical dependence. He said it would be inappropriate to compare the two drugs as they both gave rise to 'different harmful effects on different parts of the body'. Kenneth Lee Kwing-chin, a professor at Chinese University, said Ecstasy produced a feeling of euphoria. But users might be left with feelings of depression, fatigue and irritability.
