Calls to upgrade ketamine to a Class A drug have been backed by the mother of a youngster who died after consuming the substance on her first day at university. Jeni Larmour died aged 18 at Newcastle University in 2020. She had consumed both alcohol and ketamine. Now, the drug could be reclassified to be in line with other narcotics like cocaine, heroin and MDMA.
The Home Office has noted that the illegal use of ketamine has increased to record levels in recent years, with an estimated 269,000 individuals aged between 16 and 59 years reporting using ketamine in the 12 months to March 2024. The drug was lifted to Class B in 2014.
Professor Paul Gill from Northumbria University has warned ketamine can cause irreversible damage to the bladder and kidneys. While the maximum sentence for producing and supplying ketamine is currently 14 years, if the drug is reclassified to Class A, offenders could face a lifetime behind bars. Sandra Larmour has campaigned for greater awareness of ketamine to try and ensure her daughter Jeni will be more than just a statistic.
Independent experts are reviewing the evidence regarding the health and social harms of ketamine misuse, and they will present their findings to Home Office ministers. This will trigger a review of the current classification of the drug.
Sandra Larmour has said reclassification should be “urgently approved,” whilst warning that the dangers of ketamine are real, and those involved in its supply need to be dealt with accordingly. The DSM Foundation, which teaches schoolchildren about the dangers of drugs, is now where Sandra Larmour works
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