Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help (a) reduce and (b) prevent the use of ketamine by (i) people under the age of 25 and (ii) other people.

The Department takes seriously the threat of ketamine and other drugs to our young people, and is working with partners across the Government to respond to existing and new drug threats and to reduce and prevent the health harms. We know that drug treatment is protective, and the number of places in treatment for people who use drugs other than opiates is being increased by 30,000.

The Government has a drug information and advice service called Talk to FRANK, which aims to reduce drug misuse and its harms by increasing awareness for young people and parents. Information on ketamine and the danger of its misuse is available at the following link:

https://www.talktofrank.com/drug/ketamine

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) is developing a briefing on ketamine for local areas, many of which are already mobilising in response to local need. The OHID also commissions drug education materials to be used by schools in personal, social, health, and economic education.