Urgent warning issued over 'potentially fatal' ketamine circulating in Manchester

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

An urgent warning has been issued over 'potentially fatal' batches of ketamine that are currently circulating in Manchester.

The Manchester Drug Analysis and Knowledge Exchange (MANDRAKE) shared the warning on social media on Friday (August 23), saying that xylazine is present in samples of ketamine being sold across the region.

Three out of four samples of ketamine tested by specialists in the last week found xylazine was present. It is a potent sedative used by vets on large animals that has been associated with 'at least a dozen deaths in the UK'. READ MORE Buildings across Greater Manchester taped-off as forensics scour scenes Specialists have now warned that the combination of ketamine and xylazine together can cause 'extreme sedation' and can be 'potentially fatal' if consumed.

Xylazine is also an adulterant in heroin and a number of other drugs. A similar warning was issued by drug testers back in June, warning of another batch of ketamine that contained xylazine being sold in Manchester.