Ketamine Damages Bladders of Children Aged Just 13

Ketamine is a medical anaesthetic, but it has become a popular street drug. Professor Rachel Isba, who runs the clinic, told the BBC (the British Broadcasting Corporation) that it is extremely cheap and probably now the third most popular substance among young people, after cannabis and alcohol. The hospital saw one young patient in 2023 and nine in 2024, but numbers rose sharply in 2025, so it opened the clinic that May. Many patients also had difficult lives: 72% had experienced emotional trauma in childhood. Isba said some children get trapped in a "K loop", taking the drug to numb the pain it causes.

Harriet Corbett, a children's bladder specialist at the hospital, warned that the damage can be devastating and even permanent. In the worst cases, patients need major surgery or dialysis. Some say urinating feels like passing broken glass. Stopping ketamine can help, and the clinic supports young people without judging them. Some people want ketamine moved to Class A, like cocaine, but government advisers have recommended keeping it in Class B. Corbett said the problem is preventable.