The Rise of Ketamine Abuse in the UK: A Global Addiction Problem

Medically reviewed by Adrian Solomon, Counselling Psychologist at Holina Rehab. Last reviewed July 2026.

Ketamine has moved from the margins of UK nightlife into a genuine public-health concern, and the numbers now bear that out across every age group — not just the young. This article looks at the UK-wide picture: how many people are using ketamine, where the law stands after the 2026 classification review, why the health harms are serious, and why treatment can be so hard to reach at home. If ketamine has taken hold in your life or a loved one’s, recovery is possible, and it starts with understanding the landscape honestly.

The Scale of Ketamine Use Across the UK

Ketamine use in Britain has grown steadily over the past decade. According to the Office for National Statistics, an estimated 264,000 people aged 16 to 59 in England and Wales (0.8%) reported using ketamine in the year ending March 2025. That is a slight fall from the record 299,000 (0.9%) reached in the year ending March 2023, but it remains far above the roughly 160,000 (0.5%) recorded a decade earlier in 2014–15. In other words, even with a recent dip, ketamine use sits well above where it was ten years ago.

The demand for help tells the same story. Government treatment data shows that 5,365 adults started treatment for ketamine problems in 2024/25 — more than twelve times the number a decade earlier, and ketamine’s share of adults entering treatment rose from 2.3% in 2023/24 to 3.2% in 2024/25. Harm at the most serious end has risen too: registered deaths involving ketamine climbed from 18 in 2014 to 60 in 2024. Use is heaviest among younger adults, which we cover separately in why young adults are especially vulnerable to ketamine abuse, but the treatment and mortality figures make clear this is an all-ages issue.

How the Law Sees Ketamine: Class B and the 2026 Review

In the UK, ketamine is a Class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Possession can carry up to five years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both, while supply and production can carry up to fourteen years. In January 2025 the Home Office asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to review whether ketamine should be upgraded to Class A. After examining the evidence, the ACMD published its decision on 28 January 2026 recommending that ketamine remain Class B, concluding that reclassification was unlikely to reduce use or harm and could deter vulnerable people from seeking help. The legal status matters for one practical reason: it does not, on its own, solve the problem. Reducing ketamine harm depends far more on treatment access and honest education than on penalties alone.

The Health Toll of Heavy Ketamine Use

Ketamine is often wrongly assumed to be low-risk because it lacks the dramatic physical withdrawal of opioids. In reality, regular heavy use carries real and sometimes irreversible harm:

• Bladder and urinary damage (ketamine uropathy) — chronic inflammation, pain, reduced bladder capacity, and in severe cases surgery.
• Kidney and abdominal complications, including the cramping known as “K-cramps”.
• Cognitive effects such as memory problems and difficulty concentrating.
• Mental-health harm, including anxiety, low mood, dissociation and, at high doses, psychosis-like states.

Because ketamine and mental-health difficulties so often travel together, effective care has to address both at once. Holina’s approach to treating addiction alongside co-occurring conditions is set out in our dual treatment programme.

Why NHS Treatment Access Is Hard to Reach

One of the quieter drivers of the ketamine picture is how difficult it can be to get timely help. NHS and community drug services are stretched, and specialist input for ketamine — a relatively newer treatment presentation — is uneven across the country. Many people face months-long waits for assessment or detox, and trauma-informed or residential options can be limited locally. Clinicians have noted that some people with mental-health difficulties turn to ketamine precisely because they cannot access treatment quickly, creating a loop that is hard to break without prompt, structured support. For a broader view of how substance dependence is treated, see our overview of drug addiction.

Why Some UK Residents Choose Treatment Abroad

For people who need help sooner than a waiting list allows, structured residential care abroad has become a practical option. The reasons UK clients give tend to be consistent: shorter time to admission, a full inpatient programme rather than fragmented outpatient sessions, more staff time per client, and distance from the environments and routines that reinforce use. Holina Rehab in Thailand provides medical detox, individual and group therapy, and structured aftercare within an all-inclusive residential setting, with English-speaking clinicians and many clients who have travelled from the UK. You can read how ketamine dependence specifically is treated on our ketamine addiction treatment page.

A Note From Our Clinical Team

“The rise we see in ketamine cases is less about a new drug and more about people not being able to reach help in time. When someone is met early, with detox, trauma work and proper aftercare in one place, the trajectory changes quickly.”

— Adrian Solomon, Counselling Psychologist, Holina Rehab (draft quote, pending sign-off)

What Our Clients Say

“I had an incredible experience here at Holina, really feel my time here was truly transformative. All staff from front of house to management were so caring understanding and supportive. The scenery, surroundings, rooms, group spaces meetings, restaurants, gym all 5*. The program they deliver and can also tailor to meet our needs was thorough, intense and very rewarding. I will carry so much from my stay on to the new chapter of my life. Thank you Holina.”

— Marlon Hulme, 3 October 2025

Frequently Asked Questions

How common is ketamine use in the UK?

Around 264,000 people aged 16 to 59 in England and Wales reported using ketamine in the year ending March 2025 (0.8%), down slightly from a record 299,000 in 2022/23 but still well above levels a decade ago (ONS).

Is ketamine legal in the UK?

No. Ketamine is a Class B controlled drug. In January 2026 the ACMD reviewed its status and recommended it remain Class B rather than being upgraded to Class A.

What are the main long-term health risks?

Heavy, sustained use is linked to bladder and urinary damage (ketamine uropathy), kidney problems, memory and concentration difficulties, and worsening anxiety, depression or dissociation.

Why do some UK residents seek rehab abroad?

Common reasons include faster admission than NHS waiting lists allow, a complete inpatient programme, more one-to-one staff time, and distance from triggering environments.

Does Holina support UK clients after treatment?

Yes. Holina provides online aftercare, regular check-ins and relapse-prevention support that can continue once a client has returned to the UK.

Recovery Is Possible — Wherever You Are

The rise of ketamine use across the UK is real, and so are the health harms behind the statistics. But the same data shows more people reaching for help than ever before, and recovery does not have to wait on a system that is overstretched. If ketamine has become a problem for you or someone close to you, Holina Rehab offers a clear, structured path forward.

Speak to our UK admissions team on +66 82 113 0657 or learn more at holinarehab.com.