Ketamine is 'emerging epidemic' in young - coroner

The inquest was held at Dorset Coroner's Court in Bournemouth

Concerns about young people's use of ketamine after a 25-year-old man died has led to a coroner writing to the home secretary.

Joshua Leatham-Prosser was found dead at his Weymouth home on 5 June 2024, having used the drug since 2019.

Richard Middleton, Dorset's assistant coroner, said Mr Leatham-Prosser "did not perceive" the Class B drug "to be any more harmful than cannabis".

But Mr Middleton said the impact on his bladder was "akin to acid attacks on the skin" and ketamine cystitis was an "emerging epidemic" amongst young people.

The latest government figures showed the drug's usage amongst 16 to 24-year-olds in England had tripled since 2016.

Mr Leatham-Prosser was in a "vicious cycle" where the only way to relieve symptoms was to take more ketamine, which meant the urinary problems caused by his addiction deteriorated, Mr Middleton added.

Dorset Coroner's Court heard Mr Leatham-Prosser, a welder who lived in St Leonard's Road, had been offered treatment in October 2024 for his bladder problems, which caused him "significant pain".

Mr Middleton said he had concerns about the "highly addictive and harmful nature" of ketamine and "the increasing number of young people presenting with potentially fatal health problems linked to its use".

He concluded Mr Leatham-Prosser's causes of death were urinary sepsis, chronic cystitis and pyelonephritis and chronic ketamine use.

"Patients seen by urologists are abusing the drug to the extent required to damage the urinary tract to the point of requiring major reconstructive surgery," Mr Middleton added, in a report that will be sent to home secretary Yvette Cooper.

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