Ketamine consumption in Belgium surged over the past decade, according to a study by the Toxicology Center of the University of Antwerp published in the journal Water Research, as reported by Le Soir. The research indicates that the use of ketamine increased in both large cities and rural areas across the country.
Researcher Natan Van Wichelen observed that Belgians sniff, ingest, or inject between seven and eleven times more ketamine than in 2012, according to Le Vif. From 2020 to 2023, Van Wichelen collected daily samples of wastewater from the sewage treatment plants of 26 localities, all located in Flanders except for two in Brussels. The sampling allowed the team to monitor ketamine levels over time and across different regions.
In 2012, colleagues of Van Wichelen detected ketamine in the sewage water, but in almost undetectable quantities. Over the course of a decade, the research team observed up to eleven times more residues of ketamine, an anesthetic diverted for euphoric purposes, in the wastewater of northern Belgium and Brussels.
"The highest concentrations of ketamine have been observed in cities and in regions close to the Dutch border. But we did not expect such significant increases," added Van Wichelen, according to VRT NWS. The study shows that ketamine use exceeds even festive circles, indicating a broader spread of the drug's consumption in the population.
Wastewater analysis allows researchers to create a comprehensive picture of illegal substance consumption, such as ketamine, which is more difficult to map by other methods. "The great advantage of wastewater analysis is that everyone participates in the study."
"We observed an increase in the amounts of ketamine seized and hospital admissions due to excessive consumption of ketamine. That's why we wanted to examine whether this trend was also visible in the wastewater," stated Van Wichelen.
Previous research conducted by the Flemish Centre of Expertise on Alcohol and Other Drugs (VAD) among partygoers had already shown that ketamine is an increasingly widespread illicit drug. The daily newspapers De Standaard and Gazet van Antwerpen echoed the Antwerp study, recalling the earlier finding.
Ketamine consumers seek a sensation of euphoria and well-being from the drug, while it also tends to make users more sociable. However, the use of ketamine is not without danger.
In addition to psychological dependence, ketamine causes cognitive disorders, including memory, attention, and vigilance issues, as well as anxiety and depression, and can lead to brain damage and psychotic disorders in the long term. Physically, ketamine damages the bladder, causing conditions such as ulcerative cystitis and chronic bladder infections.
"Ten to fifteen years ago, ketamine consumption was very anecdotal," confirmed Michaël Hogge, project manager at the Socio-Epidemiological Observatory on Alcohol and Drugs in Wallonia and Brussels. "A bit like what some report from a near-death experience," Hogge illustrated, explaining that individuals turned to ketamine to experience an intense dissociation of the body and mind, according to RTBF. "But in recent years, recreational use has established itself in festive environments," stated Hogge.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.