The tragic death of Gemma Weeks, a 28-year-old woman from Dorset, has brought renewed attention to the dangers of ketamine, a Class B drug increasingly popular among young people. Gemma had been using ketamine for about ten years, spending up to £500 weekly on the drug before she was found dead in her temporary home in Weymouth this past January. An inquest revealed her death was due to toxicity and bladder damage caused by prolonged ketamine use.
Dorset coroner Brendan Allen expressed serious concerns in a Prevention of Future Deaths Report about the drug’s easy and inexpensive availability. He emphasized that although ketamine is classified as a Class B drug—which some perceive as less harmful—its risks are substantial, including the possibility of fatal overdose and high addiction potential.
“Ketamine use is rising notably among young people, yet the risks associated with both acute and chronic use remain poorly understood by the public and novice users,” Coroner Allen stated. He noted that drug treatment agencies have observed increased cases of ketamine addiction, with more individuals seeking help.
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The coroner warned that the current drug classification might mislead users into underestimating the dangers of ketamine compared to Class A substances. While healthcare professionals and treatment providers understand the severe health consequences of chronic ketamine use, this knowledge has not effectively reached broader communities or those at greatest risk.
The Home Office is expected to respond to these concerns by mid-October. In response to the inquest, the Home Office acknowledged ketamine’s dangers and the worrying rise in its use, revealing that advice on reclassifying ketamine as a Class A drug has been requested from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and will be carefully considered.
Gemma’s family described her as “an absolutely beautiful young lady with a heart of gold.” They mourned the loss, saying, “Ketamine took Gem’s life, and stole her from ours. Had she known the path ketamine would lead her down, she would never have taken it that first time.”
They hope that by sharing Gemma’s story, others might be warned of the serious risks and potentially saved from similar fates.