Categories: Health

Ketamine, between parties and self-medication against anxiety

Ketamine, between parties and self-medication against anxietyKetamine, between parties and self-medication against anxiety

DR – Unsplash

Long confined to the blocks surgical and veterinary surgeries, ketamine has infiltrated techno parties, chemsex and, more worryingly, the daily lives of many young people. Its diverted consumption is exploding, with devastating effects that go far beyond the festive setting.

In France, according to the French Drug Observatory, 3.3% of 18-24 year-olds have already experimented with “K” in 2023. These figures, although modest in appearance, mask frequent use and increasing doses among regular users. The consequences? A sometimes irreversible addiction, psychiatric disorders, and above all, severe urinary complications. “These cystitises induced by ketamine are often disabling and require surgical interventions,” recalls a report from the French Addictovigilance Network, a unique system in Europe which monitors the evolution of practices.

The phenomenon is not new: ketamine has been popular in party circles since the 1990s. It is attractive for its rapid hallucinogenic effects, but its widespread use raises questions. In 2022, nearly 3,000 seizures were made in Europe, or 2.79 tonnes of product intercepted. According to The Conversation, this increased circulation is based on digital sales channels, facilitating mass access. However, this availability encourages alternative uses, sometimes self-therapeutic – reducing anxiety, improving mood – without medical supervision and with increased risks.

Far from being confined to France, this global use reflects a societal crisis: escape through drugs (and other addictions) in the face of contemporary anxieties. 

You liked the article ? It mobilized our editorial staff, which lives only on your donations.
Information has a cost, especially since competition from subsidized editorial staff requires increased rigor and professionalism.

With your support, France-Soir will continue to offer its articles for free  because we believe that everyone should have access to free and independent information to form their own opinion.

You are the sine qua non condition for our existence, support us so that France-Soir remains the French media that allows the most legitimate voices to be expressed.

Natasha Kumar

Natasha Kumar has been a reporter on the news desk since 2018. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining The Times Hub, Natasha Kumar worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my natasha@thetimeshub.in 1-800-268-7116

Share
Published by
Natasha Kumar

Recent Posts

The PR -agency that was actively working in favor of the enemy was exposed in the Kyiv region – the prosecutor's office

< IMG SRC = "/Uploads/Blogs/58/0F/IB-FRFB82F6S_97570526.jpg" Alt = "in Kyiv region exposed a PR-agency that actively…

50 minutes ago

Fraudsters in Ternopil region have been outlined in women over 95,000 hryvnias because of false payments

< IMG SRC = "/Uploads/Blogs/BD/70/IB-FRF5C4IJB_F2DD176C.jpg" Alt = "fraudsters were blown away in women over 95,000…

50 minutes ago

Confession before Easter. What sins you have to confess from

For many believers, the upcoming Easter period is a time of spiritual reflection and internal…

2 hours ago

Taken from life. “My husband decided to take children from the first marriage to us”: he wants us to be a great family

When we met, I knew he had a past. < img src = "https://zycie.news/crrops/34ab40/620x0/1/0/2025/04/03/gkeh0e9fzobeww6fub9xgqqsmplguakyzufzmi.jpg" alt…

2 hours ago

French developers presented an innovative machine gun sight Ironsnake equipped with a thermal imaging

< IMG SRC = "/Uploads/Blogs/82/35/IB-FRFATHKB1_999EA2A6B.jpg" Alt = "French developers presented an innovative machine gun sight…

3 hours ago

Ukrainian weapons have created a new UAV that destroys armored vehicles and resistant to the Reb

< IMG SRC = "/Uploads/Blogs/05/Be/IB-FRFAU2KT7_E25B845D.jpg" Alt = "Ukrainian Weapons created a new UAV that destroys…

3 hours ago