Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01001 on 24 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01001 on 24 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01001 on 24 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01001 on 24 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01001 on 24 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01001 on 24 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

At this time the Scottish Government has not carried out any public health campaigns in relation to ketamine use.

The Scottish Government however provides funding to Public Health Scotland, to monitor ketamine use and related harms, through its RADAR (Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response) program. The system acts as an early warning network to track emerging trends, local clusters of harm, and toxicology data in Scotland.

There are several Scottish Government funded organisations that are publicising the risks of taking ketamine and where to get help. These include:

• The Scottish Drugs Forum provides free targeted e-learning resources for healthcare staff and the public, helping them recognize early warning signs of ketamine dependency and understand how to reduce the risks
• Turning Point, a leading national social care charity, is running a nationwide campaign focusing on early intervention and harm reduction, to help people understand the tolerance limits and mental health impacts of ketamine
• Change, Grow, Live are a health and social care charity that is running an online campaign, to help people understand what ketamine is, detailing the side effects, risks and how to keep safe when taking it.

The Scottish Government are aware of an increase in ketamine use by young people, and published the Standards for Young People in November 2025, to ensure support in drug services meets their needs.

Several Scottish Government funded organisations are publicising the risks of taking ketamine and where to get help. These include:

• Crew, an Edinburgh based charity, provides Nightlife Harm Reduction at clubs and festivals, offering welfare, advice, harm reduction information and immediate crisis support
• Turning Point, a leading national social care charity, is running a nationwide campaign focusing on early intervention and harm reduction without using scare tactics, aimed at helping youth understand the tolerance limits and mental health impacts of ketamine
• With You, a support charity that is providing information and help to young people on their website, including peer written stories of other young people’s experience with ketamine.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Public Health Scotland provide information through Drug and Alcohol Information System (DAISy) the national database that holds data about drug and alcohol services.

The DAISy initial assessments report tables, provide information on ketamine which is grouped into a larger ‘dissociatives’ category and presented at NHS Board of Residence level per financial year. Tables 4.4 and 4.5 relate to the drugs cohort and report on all drugs listed at assessment and main drug only; tables 5.9 and 5.10 are the same but for the ‘both drugs and alcohol’ cohort. These figures relate to the first assessment a person has had in each year, NHS Board and substance type, so do not represent individuals. Disclosure control has been applied so values are not available for every NHS Board. Data are available for financial years 2021-22 to 2024-25 inclusive.

The quarterly RADAR management information dashboard, presents monthly data for the main drug reported at assessment, by NHS Board of treatment, which includes specific data on ketamine (Chart 2: Main Drug). These data can be found on the ‘Service Indicators’ page and are for all assessments recorded in DAISy. The data include all assessments for drugs and both alcohol and drugs so are not equivalent to individuals. Data in the dashboard currently cover November 2020 – February 2026 and no data have been suppressed. Filters at the top of the page can be used to select the area and time period of interest, and there is a filter above the chart to select the drug of interest. To note that there is a minor issue with ‘Chart 1’ in the current version of the dashboard, which means that data for individual NHS Boards are not displayed. Chart 2 is unaffected and the issue will be corrected in the next release (July 2026).

There is currently no national collection of data on ketamine-induced bladder damage. The Scottish Government are ensuring that Alcohol and Drug Partnerships and specialist services take the needs of ketamine usage into account in commissioning and delivering acute care and aftercare services.