{"id":20050,"date":"2025-10-19T16:46:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T15:46:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/?p=20050"},"modified":"2026-01-11T18:03:48","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T17:03:48","slug":"young-people-given-stark-warning-on-deadly-risks-of-taking-drugs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/2025\/10\/young-people-given-stark-warning-on-deadly-risks-of-taking-drugs\/","title":{"rendered":"Young people given stark warning on deadly risks of taking drugs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"global-cookie-message\" class=\"gem-c-cookie-banner govuk-clearfix govuk-cookie-banner js-banner-wrapper\" role=\"region\" data-module=\"cookie-banner\" data-nosnippet=\"\" aria-label=\"Cookies on GOV.UK\" data-cookie-banner-module-started=\"true\">\n<div class=\"govuk-cookie-banner__message govuk-width-container\">\n<div class=\"govuk-grid-row\">\n<div class=\"govuk-grid-column-two-thirds\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"govuk-width-container\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"govuk-grid-row gem-print-columns-none translation-nav-header\">\n<div class=\"govuk-grid-column-two-thirds translation-nav-header__child\">\n<div class=\"gem-c-heading govuk-!-margin-bottom-0\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\"><strong>The UK government has launched a new campaign to alert young people to the dangers of ketamine, counterfeit medicines and adulterated THC vapes.<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"govuk-grid-row\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<div class=\"metadata-wrapper gem-print-columns-none \">\n<div class=\"govuk-grid-column-two-thirds metadata-column\">\n<div class=\"gem-c-metadata\" data-module=\"metadata\" data-metadata-module-started=\"true\">\n<dl class=\"gem-c-metadata__list\">\n<dt class=\"gem-c-metadata__term\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">by Department of Health and Social Care and Ashley Dalton MP &#8211; Published 16 October 2025<\/span><\/dt>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"govuk-grid-row gem-print-columns-none\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<div class=\"govuk-grid-column-two-thirds \">\n<div class=\"content-bottom-margin\">\n<div class=\"responsive-bottom-margin\">\n<div class=\"gem-c-govspeak govuk-govspeak gem-c-govspeak--direction-ltr govuk-!-margin-bottom-0\" data-module=\"govspeak\" data-govspeak-module-started=\"true\">\n<div class=\"govspeak\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">New campaign to alert young people to the dangers of ketamine, counterfeit medicines and adulterated\u00a0<abbr title=\"tetrahydrocannabinol\">THC<\/abbr>\u00a0vapes<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Ketamine use and drug poisonings highest on record with 8 times more people seeking treatment since 2015<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Government investing \u00a3310 million into drug treatment services alongside awareness campaign<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Young people are being warned that they risk irreparable bladder damage, poisoning and even death if they take ketamine, synthetic opioids or deliberately contaminated\u00a0<abbr title=\"tetrahydrocannabinol\">THC<\/abbr>\u00a0vapes, as part of a new anti-drugs campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Launching today (16 October 2025), the campaign, which includes online films, will target 16 to 24 years olds and social media users, following a worrying rise in the number of young people being harmed by drugs. There has been an eight-fold increase in the number of people requiring treatment for ketamine since 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Supported by \u00a3310 million investment in drug treatment services, this initiative directly supports the government\u2019s Plan for Change mission to create safer streets by reducing serious harm and protecting communities from emerging drug threats.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Health Minister Ashley Dalton said:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Young people don\u2019t always realise the decision to take drugs such as ketamine can have profound effects. It can destroy your bladder and even end your life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">We\u2019ve seen a worrying rise in people coming to harm from ketamine as well as deliberately contaminated\u00a0<abbr title=\"tetrahydrocannabinol\">THC<\/abbr>\u00a0vapes and synthetic opioids hidden in fake medicines bought online.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"last-child\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Prevention is at the heart of this government\u2019s approach to tackling drugs and this campaign will ensure young people have the facts they need to make informed decisions about their health and safety, so they think twice about putting themselves in danger.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">As part of the campaign, experts will highlight particular risks, including the:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">potentially irreparable damage ketamine can cause to your bladder<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">dangers of counterfeit medicines containing deadly synthetic opioids purchased online<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">risks from so-called \u2018<abbr title=\"tetrahydrocannabinol\">THC<\/abbr>\u00a0vapes\u2019 that often contain dangerous synthetic cannabinoids like spice rather than\u00a0<abbr title=\"tetrahydrocannabinol\">THC<\/abbr><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Resources will be available for schools, universities and local public health teams with content available on\u00a0FRANK, the drug information website.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">There are growing concerns about novel synthetic opioids, particularly nitazenes, which are increasingly appearing in counterfeit medicines sold through illegitimate online sources. Users purchasing these products are typically younger and more drug-na\u00efve.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Reports of harms from\u00a0<abbr title=\"tetrahydrocannabinol\">THC<\/abbr>\u00a0vapes have also increased, with many products containing synthetic cannabinoids (commonly known as \u2018spice\u2019) that have higher potency and unpredictable effects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Katy Porter, CEO, The Loop, said:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">The Loop welcomes the further investment in evidence-based approaches and support to reduce drug-related harm.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"last-child\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Providing accurate, non-judgemental information equips and empowers people to make safer choices and can help reduce preventable harms.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Drug poisoning deaths reached 5,448 in England and Wales in 2023, the highest number since records began in 1993. The campaign emphasises that while complete safety requires avoiding drug use altogether, those who may still use substances should be aware of the risks and know how to access help and support.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">The campaign underlines that ketamine\u2019s medical applications do not make illicit use safe, with urologists increasingly concerned about young people presenting with severe bladder problems from recreational ketamine use.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Resources will be distributed to local public health teams, drug and alcohol treatment services, youth services, schools and universities. The campaign provides clear information on accessing help and support for those experiencing drug-related problems or mental health issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">This year the Department of Health and Social Care is also providing \u00a3310 million in additional targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol treatment services and recovery support in England, including specialist services for children and young people.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">For information and support on drug-related issues, visit\u00a0www.talktofrank.com\u00a0or call the FRANK helpline on 0300 123 6600.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"background-information\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Background information<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"gem-c-govspeak__youtube-placeholder govuk-body\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\"><span class=\"govuk-heading-s\">How to watch this YouTube video<\/span><span class=\"gem-c-govspeak__youtube-placeholder-text\">There&#8217;s a YouTube video on this page. You can&#8217;t access it because of your cookie settings.<\/span><span class=\"gem-c-govspeak__youtube-placeholder-text\">You can\u00a0change your cookie settings\u00a0or watch the video on YouTube instead:<\/span>Ket: while each high lasts minutes, for some the damage to their bladder could last forever<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"gem-c-govspeak__youtube-placeholder govuk-body\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\"><span class=\"govuk-heading-s\">How to watch this YouTube video<\/span><span class=\"gem-c-govspeak__youtube-placeholder-text\">There&#8217;s a YouTube video on this page. You can&#8217;t access it because of your cookie settings.<\/span><span class=\"gem-c-govspeak__youtube-placeholder-text\">You can\u00a0change your cookie settings\u00a0or watch the video on YouTube instead:<\/span>Synthetic opioids: what are they and why are they so dangerous?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Additional resources for professionals and educators will be available through local public health networks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">The \u00a3310 million additional funding for drug treatment services is separate from the public health grant.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Source: https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/young-people-given-stark-warning-on-deadly-risks-of-taking-drugs<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"govuk-!-display-none-print responsive-bottom-margin\">\n<div class=\"gem-c-share-links govuk-!-display-none-print\" dir=\"ltr\" title=\"Share this page\" data-module=\"ga4-link-tracker\" data-ga4-link-tracker-module-started=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<footer class=\"gem-c-layout-footer govuk-footer\" data-module=\"ga4-link-tracker\" data-ga4-link-tracker-module-started=\"true\">\n<div class=\"govuk-width-container\">\n<div class=\"govuk-footer__meta\">\n<div class=\"govuk-footer__meta-item\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-ga4-link=\"{&quot;event_name&quot;:&quot;navigation&quot;,&quot;section&quot;:&quot;Copyright&quot;,&quot;index_section&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;index_link&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;index_section_count&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;\u00a9 Crown copyright&quot;,&quot;index_total&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;footer&quot;}\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; The UK government has launched a new campaign to alert young people to the dangers of ketamine, counterfeit medicines and adulterated THC vapes. by Department of Health and Social Care and Ashley Dalton MP &#8211; Published 16 October 2025 New campaign to alert young people to the dangers of ketamine, counterfeit medicines and adulterated\u00a0THC\u00a0vapes [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63,30,129,68,41,80,40,36,128,134,61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-brain-and-behaviour","category-cannabis-marijuana","category-culture","category-drug-use-various-effects","category-drug-use-effects-on-foetus","category-ketamine","category-prevention-research","category-treatment-addiction","category-uk","category-vaping","category-youth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20050"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20053,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20050\/revisions\/20053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}