Ketamine harm rose across several data sources.
Reported nonmedical use, poison-center cases, and overdose deaths with ketamine all rose over overlapping periods.
The questions
we're asking.
See what the data shows and what we still need to learn.
What we know so far
Here is what studies found. We also list the questions that still need answers.
What studies found
Each card links to its source.
Most overdose deaths with ketamine also involved other drugs.
More than 80% also involved fentanyl, meth, or cocaine.
Poison centers recorded more suicide-related ketamine reports.
Reports rose from 2019 to 2023, both in number and as a share of cases with a known reason.
These overdose records do not include certified suicides.
The cited data covers accidental and undetermined-intent overdose deaths.
What we want to find out
Researchers still need to answer these questions.
Is more ketamine being used, or are labs just testing for it more?
Are take-home prescriptions from telehealth companies part of the rise?
Does ketamine make suicidal thoughts worse for some people?
Is stopping treatment a risky time?
Are some "accidental" overdoses really suicides?
Was some of the ketamine given by paramedics after the person collapsed?
Are more people dying by suicide with ketamine in their body, beyond overdose?
Are more people on ketamine dying in falls, drownings and crashes?
Do tusi mixes hurt people differently than ketamine alone?
How often is ketamine in someone's body because medics gave it to them?
Does heavy use or dependence come before a suicidal crisis, or does the crisis come first?
Open questions
How many overdose deaths had ketamine and prior suicidal thoughts or attempts?
How often is ketamine found in suicide deaths across all methods?
How many deaths are tested for ketamine each year?
Where did ketamine-related harms happen: street, home, or clinic?
Do people using ketamine report more suicidal thoughts after accounting for depression?
What happens when people start, continue, or stop ketamine treatment?
What do death certificates say about ketamine and intent?
How many suicides are tested for ketamine at all?
What's actually in the tusi being sold in the US?
What we're working on
Analyze public NSDUH data on ketamine use and suicide-related thoughts, plans, and attempts. Publish the code and results.
Update a public ketamine data tracker with each CDC release.
Publish a guide for journalists on ketamine found in the body versus involved in a death.
Work with medical examiners to count every death with ketamine in it, not just overdoses. We're starting with Miami-Dade.
Research we want to fund
We plan to fund studies that account for testing changes, link records, and study youth ketamine use.