Young people addicted to Ice four times more likely to have urinary problems, Hong Kong study finds
First large-scale review of its kind also reveals those taking methamphetamine with ketamine are nine times more likely to have such trouble than non-users
Youngsters addicted to the methamphetamine known as Ice are four times more likely to develop urinary problems than those who do not use the drug, a Hong Kong study has found.
Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong said their findings revealed students taking Ice experienced frequent urination and incontinence.
They added that medics had known for years that ketamine, another drug popular in Hong Kong, harmed bladder and urinary functions but that the effects of Ice had been less known.
“There are some misconceptions that Ice can replace side effects brought on by ketamine,” Dr Tam Yuk-him, the study’s principal investigator, said. “We need to dispel such ridiculous thoughts.”
In the study, 11,938 students from 45 secondary schools were interviewed between 2012 and 2014.
Tam said it was the world’s first large-scale study to review how drug use affects urinary problems in young people, noting the research came after smaller scale studies in Taiwan and South Korea.