The tranquiliser and painkiller ketamine is becoming increasingly popular under clubbers in the Netherlands, according to the latest national drugs monitor published by the Trimbos institute. Although just 1.1% adults say they have used ketamine at some point in their lives, 17.3% of clubbers say they have done so, and 12.3% said they had used it at least once in the previous year, the research showed. Ketamine does not fall under the Dutch opium laws and it is not a criminal offence to possess or use it. In 2009, ketamine was involved in almost 3% of cases referred for medical help, but that had risen to over 8% by 2017, the institute said. And more
