Worthing rehab warns over young people's ketamine use after admissions spike
The Recovery Lighthouse says children as young as sixteen are being admitted over the drug
Last updated 15th Oct 2025
A Worthing rehab is warning of a growing trend in young people taking ketamine, as it urges for better education in schools.
The Recovery Lighthouse says admissions to its service related to the street drug have spiked by a third in the past five years.
It added that across it's branches it's seen children as young as sixteen admitted over the horse tranquiliser, which has pain killing and hallucinogenic effects.
Their Head of Treatment Zaheen Ahmed estimates "more than fifty percent of young people" have tried the drug:
"It's a painkiller you can find easily on the street and it's very cheap.
"If they if they're trying other drugs, people will use ketamine to manage the withdrawal symptoms.
"Young people, if they don't have that much money, rather than choosing cocaine, they will choose ketamine."He noted that while the effects of alcohol addiction may take decades to show, the impacts of ketamine can be seen in two to three years - including bladder pain and loss of control.
This, he adds, can result in a 'vicious cycle':
"What ketamine user does when they start having pains, they use ketamine to counteract that."
Referring to an extreme case, he told Greatest Hits Radio how one of their clients had ketamine delivered to inject themselves with while in hospital awaiting bladder surgery for their use of the drug.
Raising awareness
The rehab has been orchestrating talks in schools to raise awareness around the use of the drug.
Zoheen said it's important to educate children on how to have healthy coping mechanisms, as well as the dangers of the drug itself:
"The problem is denial, in terms of someone thinking, oh, it's not going to be that bad, everything is good. It's not me. I can see it in someone else, but it won't happen to me.
"The problem is every human being needs to go through a process of the pain, dealing with problem solving, understanding human emotions and feelings.
"With ketamine use, it's not happening.
"A person is numbing themselves. "So the brain, it's a young brain, we need to learn.
"We need to go through all sadness, let down, anger, resentment, and then deal with all of these feelings."