More young people in Wales need help because of ketamine. Ketamine is a drug that doctors can use in hospitals, but it is illegal to use without medical care. The charity Kaleidoscope had two people sent to its drug treatment centre in 2021. So far this year, it has had 112 people. Most are between 18 and 24 years old.

Megan Harmes, 24, from Flint in north Wales, first used ketamine when she was 14. During the Covid lockdown, the drug was cheap and easy to get. She used it every day and later lost her job training. The drug badly hurt her bladder. At 22, she had great pain and had to wear pads because she could not always control her urine. She has now spent more than four weeks in a treatment centre. She feels better, but doctors do not yet know how much her bladder can heal.

Ketamine can also cause memory problems, kidney damage and long-term pain. Mark, 25, says heavy drug use hurt his bladder and nose. He also found it hard to be a father and care for his family. The University of South Wales and Kaleidoscope are now studying how to help young users. They say health and drug services must change because some children start using ketamine at 13. Schools and local services are also giving young people earlier help.