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The project aims to provide users
with better information about safer
use, but also to improve access to
care. Amy knows many users,
Mat knows many professionals.
Together they build bridges and
create a space where K-users are not
judged, and where they can learn.
horse’s mouth
twenties had their bladder removed. ‘These users are being neglected. There is
barely any information on how to reduce risks,’ he says.
Moreover, in 2014 ketamine was further criminalised, resulting in higher
penalties for possession, which – as predicted by expert advisors on the topic – only
worsens the situation.
‘I gave evidence to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of drugs working group
on Ketamine,’ says Mat. ‘It was called by Theresa May, then home secretary, to
advise on the ketamine situation. My evidence said problems arose after
criminalisation and that more criminalisation would deepen problems. But
ketamine was further criminalised regardless. The view of key people in the
working group was that Theresa May decided on a path of more criminalisation
before they reported. This is what has resulted from a political move to be seen as
tough on drugs regardless of actual impact of policy.’
For a while Mat distanced himself from ketamine harm reduction, hoping that
others would pick it up. Sadly, this did not happen. And then, in 2016, Amy
contacted Mat. She had watched one of his online videos on ketamine and came
with a cry for help.
Amy is 28 years old and has been using ketamine for around seven years.
Through her personal party network she already knows about 100 to 200 ketamine
users, many of whom now have serious health problems – bladder and kidney
trouble, mental health issues, and terrible pains in the stomach, known as ‘K-
cramps’.
‘A lot of the people I know walk around with severe pains for a long period of
time, because they do not get any help, and they use more ketamine to soothe the
pain – something that usually only exacerbates the problem’ says Amy.
She too has sought medical help several times for her K-cramps, and often
medics had no idea what to do with her problem. Twice they even prescribed
painkillers that worsened the situation.
Not just the emergency services, but also urologists – who usually treat much
older people – are struggling with this patient group. Even the addiction treatment
services often have too little specific knowledge of ketamine and offer standard
treatments – such as the 12-step-programme – that do not address the demand
and needs of most ketamine users. As a result, many K-users have little trust in
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medical or drug services, leading them to walk around with problems for
unnecessarily long periods.
Thus, Mat and Amy came up with the peer project ‘Straight from the horse’s
mouth’. The project aims to provide users with better information about safer use,
but also to improve access to care. Amy knows many users, Mat knows many
professionals. Together they build bridges and create a space where K-users are not
judged, and where they can learn.
‘Medics often have little understanding for continued drug use, despite the
harm people inflict upon themselves,’ says Mat. ‘In our project, users share their
experiences and knowledge with each other. They respect each other. If someone
pees a lot or has blood in their urine, that person is stimulated to go and see a
medic. That way chronic bladder disease – or even worse, the removal of the
bladder – can be prevented.’
Practical advice on safer K-use is also exchanged. ‘For instance, before snorting
ketamine it is much better to grind the crystals with a pestle and mortar, rather
than heating them’, Mat tells us. ‘Because when you heat the crystals you lower the
quality of the drug, and bacteria are released. Also, many problems can be
prevented by drinking plenty of water during and after use, so you rinse the
ketamine out of your body.’
Amy and Mat started a secret Facebook group with around 50 members so far. It
is a safe space where ketamine users can share their health problems and advice
with each other. ‘On YouTube we want to start a talking heads video dialogue
between peers and professionals,’ they say. ‘We hope that commitment to the
project will increase through social media, such as Facebook and YouTube. Soon the
first YouTube video will be available online. In the future, we are hoping to offer
even more, such as an online learning environment and meetings.’
If you are an experienced ketamine user interested in exchange on this topic you
can contact Amy Massey or Mat Southwell by sending them a message via Facebook.
Sara Woods is project leader for the national department of Mainline, a harm
reduction organisation based in Amsterdam, which works nationally and
internationally to promote health, rights, and quality of life for drug users,
english.mainline.nl
This article is a version of Sara’s Dutch article, published in Mainline Magazine.
September 2017 | drinkanddrugsnews | 7