Rich kid party drug on rise in SA
A party drug often used to sedate large animals is becoming increasingly popular among young people, according to a new Adelaide study.
An Australia-wide study led by Adelaide University researchers has found an Australia-wide increase in illicit ketamine usage, with the lead academic warning young people of its dangers.
The study, published in Environmental Advances, analysed wastewater samples collected between December 2020 and April 2025.
Daily influent wastewater samples were collected from treatment plants across capital cities and regional areas across the country, covering about 53 per cent of Australia’s population
Professor Cobus Gerber from Adelaide University’s School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences told InDaily that ketamine is legally used as an acute pain treatment, to treat depression and by vets to sedate large animals.
However, Gerber said there was an increase in ketamine’s illicit use as a party drug, particularly when mixed with other drugs like MDMA, also known as ecstasy.
You might like
According to Australia’s Alcohol and Drug Foundation, ketamine’s effects include euphoria, dissociation, lowered sensitivity to pain, hallucinations, confusion and clumsiness, increased heart rate and blood pressure, drowsiness, slurred speech and vision, anxiety and vomiting.
“It’s apparently fairly readily available now through black markets … the other thing is social media,” Gerber said.
“People report that the effects of MDMA can be modulated because MDMA is a stimulant, whereas ketamine is a dissociative or sedative, and therefore, it takes the edge off some of these experiences, and it extends the experience in some cases with alcohol.
“So, these combinations mean people have the experience, they enjoy it, and they share it on social media, and then it becomes popular.”
Stay informed, daily
He warned that among the physical and mental impacts of ketamine, it can lead to long-term liver damage, heart palpitations, intestinal issues and even death.
It also leads to long-term cognitive decline and movement disorders, as well as dementia in later life.
Gerber said another “rather sinister” aspect of illicit ketamine usage is its link to sex crimes due to its sedative and dissociative effects.
Gerber said that ketamine usage was concentrated in cities and was most commonly used recreationally on the weekend by those under 30 – particularly those with more money.
“It puts it in that CBD area, which would be consistent with party use, because that’s where most nightclubs tend to be,” he said.
Gerber said usage in Adelaide was slightly lower, but that it was more commonly used on weekends compared to other cities in Australia.
“Overall, Adelaide is not the highest consumer of ketamine compared to some of the bigger eastern seaboard cities,” he said.
He said that, unlike other drugs, its usage is more common among higher socioeconomic communities.
“A lot of drugs are used by people at the lower end of the socioeconomic advantage scale, whereas ketamine went the opposite way,” he said.
The research work is supported by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and Preventive Health SA, and is conducted in partnership with the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences.
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
