Abuse of party drugs ecstasy and ketamine SOARS by more than 200% in last four years, Home Office tests reveal

By DAVID BARRETT, HOME AFFAIRS EDITOR Published: 15:45, 13 April 2026 | Updated: 15:50, 13 April 2026 Illegal use of ketamine as a party drug has more than tripled in just four years, according to experimental scientific tests carried out for the Home Office. Boffins analysed samples of waste water from England’s sewers and found a 229 per cent increase in the amount of residue from ketamine between 2021 and last year. There was a 54 per cent jump in the most recent 12 months alone. Tests also indicated surging use of MDMA, better known as ecstasy, with a 232 per cent rise over four years. Meanwhile, illegal use of methamphetamine – also known as crystal meth – surged by 61 per cent over the period, and cocaine consumption was estimated to have risen by 26 per cent. Heroin abuse dipped by 40 per cent over the same timeframe. The huge increase in ketamine consumption revealed by the experiments will deepen concerns over its growing popularity. Known as ‘K’ or ‘Special K’, it can lead to a relaxed and dream-like sensation, but taking too much can cause temporarily paralysis in what users term a ‘k-hole’. Use of ketamine is on the rise and has now hit record levels in the UK, according to government figures The drug – a medical and veterinarian anaesthetic and painkiller - can be fatal especially when mixed with other drugs or alcohol, and can lead to heart problems and hallucinations. Longer-term use can lead to memory loss, mental health problems and organ damage. Your browser does not support iframes. Latest evidence, published yesterday MON, described how scientists hired by the Home Office tested for evidence of illegal drugs in bodily fluids which have been flushed down the lavatory. Scientists studied samples from 42 sewage treatment sites and extrapolated the findings to estimate drug usage for England’s population as a whole. Ketamine, known to clubbers as ‘K’ or ‘Special K’, comes as a powder and is usually snorted. They were even able to estimate the amount of illegal drugs consumed nationally between August 2024 and July last year, an official Home Office report said. Results showed cocaine had the highest estimated consumption and market value, with about 123 metric tonnes consumed in a year - equating to a £9.8billion market value. Ketamine consumption was estimated at just under 31 metric tonnes - a £900million market value. Your browser does not support iframes. Heroin consumption was put at just under seven metric tonnes - equating to a £300million market value. If the figures are correct, it could indicate the amount of drugs seized by the authorities are merely scratching the surface of the drug problem. Separate data published in February showed the amount of cocaine seized in England and Wales in 2024-25 was just under 16 tonnes. Just over one tonne of ketamine and less than half a tonne of heroin were confiscated in the same period. Areas of England with high cocaine consumption were Liverpool and Sunderland, the estimates showed. Ketamine was heavily used in Liverpool, Brighton, Portsmouth, Norfolk and Bristol; while ecstasy was prominent in testing from Brighton, London, Liverpool and the South West. Last year the Government asked a Home Office expert panel to look at whether ketamine should be upgraded from a Class B drug to Class A – the same as heroin, crack and cocaine. But in January the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) rejected reclassifying the drug. Ministers usually follow the ACMD’s advice so ketamine is now unlikely to be reclassified. The Home Office paper acknowledged the waste water tests had a series of limitations, including difficulties estimating drug purity, as well as variations depending on how substances were ingested. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.