Ketamine was designed as an anaesthetic but its use as a recreational drug is growing fast, particularly among young people. It can have life-changing health consequences, yet the use of the drug increased by 85 per cent between 2023 and 2024. Paul Kenyon investigates the ketamine trade and discovers how tonnes of the drug are able to find their way into the UK undetected.

Reporter: Paul Kenyon
Producer: Paul Grant
Technical producer: James Bradshaw
Production coordinator: Tim Fernley
Editor: Carl Johnston

Details of organisations offering support and information with addiction are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline