Beloved Manchester 'pioneer', 38, dies as coroner issues urgent warning

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A coroner has warned that ketamine is being wrongly seen as a 'safe' drug and should be upgraded to Class A following the death of an Ancoats businessman.

Jamie Boland, 38, died of sepsis following 'complications from chronic ketamine use', according to Coroner Alison Mutch. She has now written to the home secretary warning that people are under a 'false impression' that ketamine is safer than other drugs like cocaine, despite its potential to cause 'huge long term life changing health conditions'.

Mr Boland, who was a founder of Ancoats Coffee Co, was described by the company in a tribute as a 'pioneer' full of 'talent, knowledge and vision'. READ MORE: Murder probe as man, 59, found dead and police cordon off two homes The prevention of future deaths report said the 38-year-old had 'long term urological damage and liver damage' caused by his chronic use of ketamine that eventually led to his death.

The Class B drug is a powerful sedative used on horses and humans in clinical settings. Ms Mutch said Mr Boland had used cocaine - a class A drug - but had later switched to ketamine - a class B drug - on the basis that he perceived it to be less harmful. "The evidence before the inquest was that ketamine is a deeply harmful substance when used outside the purposes for which it is licenced for prescribing by clinicians and that users such as Mr Boland are unable to give it up despite knowing how dangerous it is to their health," she wrote. "Maintaining its classification as a Class B drug was likely to encourage others to start to use it or continue to use it under the false impression it is 'safer'”.