“Is Ketamine Killing Our Dancefloors?” a question that has only arisen in the last half a decade. This dissociative anesthetic has quickly become the most popular drug for people under 25 attending raves, concerts and club nights (Schofield D, 2023), but why? Presented in two forms, either crystalised and grounded into a power, or as a liquid form (which is more commonly found in hospitals as a form of pain relief) ketamine (or better known as “Ket”) has found its way onto our high streets, in our clubs and bars, but most importantly, into the hands young people. First synthesized in 1963, it was originally used by vets when treating animals, predominantly horses, however, after an incredibly short medical trial on humans, it soon found additional uses, predominantly as effective battlefield pain relief for soldiers in the Vietnam War (Zinnia Health, 2023). The pace at which ketamine went from animal trials to human consumption is something that would not be experience in this day and age.

Ketamine was commercially produced in a number of countries, the main manufacturer being the United States Of America. However, most of the supply sold in the States is usually diverted or stolen from legitimate sources, such as hospitals and veterinary clinics. The end of March 2022 saw record amounts of ketamine seized by police and border forces as the quantity of the confiscated drug rose by 884% from 208 kg to 1,837kg (Drug Enforcement Administration 2020).

Upon entering the body, the consumer will undergo an increased heart rate and blood pressure. This will decrease over the next 10-20 minutes. This is comparable to Cocaine, however, Cocaine tends to take a much quicker and aggressive approach when entering the body (Zinnia Health 2023). Users taking Cocaine can experience heightened responses, erratic behaviour, alertness and surges of energy, which are completely different to the effects that take place after consuming ket. In contract, ketamine can make users feel docile and zombie like, unable to a respond to any external stimuli. Taking into account the energetic, eclectic and often euphoric nature of dance music, why has a drug which numbs the body and senses found a place on the dancefloors?

House music is funded by drugs, a bold statement I know, but many stories and eye witness accounts speak of club and events who proactively sell and distribute drugs in order to make profit and keep the dancefloor full and jumping. These can be drugs either supplied by a dealer with access granted into the club, or via security who confiscate drugs and sell them on inside the venue. Weather true or not, all it takes if for you to simply enter a club or dance event to see that drug use, and often the promotion of taking drugs is something that is in abundance. But this is for a very specific reason. Inherently, most dance music has a “four to the floor beat” of which house music was built upon. This constant pounding, along with a specific rpm range connects with us physically, and often matches the speed and repetition of the human heartbeat. This, combined with the rhythmic patterns, repetitive melodies and vocals and the euphoric buildups and drops makes substances like MDMA the perfect accompaniment to heighten the already exultant experience. MDMA or ecstacy “(also known as the “Loved-up” drug) heightens the users experiences by giving them an over sensitivity to sounds and colour, as well as increasing dopamine levels, which is essentially the body “reward” chemical. It brings about feelings of euphoria and heightened emotion. MDMA deaths have increased over the last few years, but pure MDMA can be one of the safest drugs you can take. But it was also fairly easy to get a hold of. That is until the export of 40% of MDMA pills was stopped abruptly. This lead to a rapid decrease in MDMAs popularity due to its rising price (FRANK 2019),and the gap this left in the dance scene was quickly filled by a cheaper, albeit different alternative; Ketamine. The cost of living crisis is making nights out a luxury. A person making the average UK salary of £682 a week, can often not afford to go out and enjoy themselves on the weekend (Thornhill. J 2023). With the street value of most recreational drugs rising, Ketamine seems to be the cheapest option for many club goers. The average street value of ketamine is roughly £60-£100 a gram, which when compared to cocaine, which comes in at £150-£170 a gram, looks to be the financially better option (Buchholz, K. 2023) (Zinnia Health 2023).

This pressing issues of taking ketamine does not just seem to be affecting attendees of these raves and club nights, but also the DJ’s and artists performing at them. A tweet from Manchester based DJ, Salute, perfectly encapsulates the emotion that this drug is forcing upon the rave scene. The tweet reads “there is far too much ket on dancefloors in the uk imo. Everyone should have fun but it sucks seeing people kind of just standing around like zombies and not dancing.”(Schofield ,D 2023).When stacked up against other articles, the running theme seems to be the zombification of people upon taking the drug, making for a crowd of people unable to move as opposed to the euphoric high of MDMA, or the energy and confidence provided by amphetamine. As someone who has witnessed this first hand, on multiple occasions, it is rather off putting. If you have gone to an house music event in recent years, you will know what I am talking about. People high on Ketamine seem to lose all abilities to perform regular bodily functions. It is very common that people taking Ketamine be described as “Dead people walking”. But this doesn’t happen on all occasions. If a person can find a “sweet spot” in their tolerance to Ketamine, they can often have a great time, while still functioning like a normal person but experiencing the highs it can deliver. However, Ketamine tolerances vary from person to person, more than any other drug. It is so easy to go from “I’m having a good night!” to standing in a corner dribbling. This is the offputting side of the drug. One glance at a video from the infamous house raves of the 90’s, and you will see a clear difference in the attitudes from the crowd. Polish DJ VTSS also tweeted that she has “actually started asking promoters in cities around the world what’s the predominant substance that’s consumed around there to adjust my vibe expectations.” (Schofield, D 2023). If a DJ feels the need to be doing this, there must be a deep rooted problem that is starting to form, and one that if not changed fast,can negatively impact the future of this industry. Within this industry, various drugs have filtered in and out, but the one constant has always been the music. If we are starting to lose the willingness of DJs and artist who want to perform to a ketamine fuelled dancefloor, then the live future of house events and clubs could look desolate and forgotten.

Is there a counter argument for the question? While it has been hard to find one, many people believe the sedative nature of the drug is a good thing. Instead, they blame “Coke and Booze” for the steady downfall of the scene. While this isn’t my personal opinion, on this occasion I find myself agreeing. A crowd of people who are intoxicated tend to be more hostile. A 2020 domestic violence study in the US showed that the most common substance taken by those committing crimes such as assault and battery, was cocaine. Around 30% of attackers had consumed cocaine and alcohol (Life Works 2022). There is definitely a counter argument against my question, and that is what I have found most interesting. Another one of these counter arguments relates back to the creation of House music itself. From its roots in the predominantly gay dance scene, and with its influences initially drawn from disco music, House was branded as inclusive, all excepting and all welcoming. For the most part, early house raves and club nights were populated by minorities. The warm and embracing nature of the industry has stood the test of time and made it an attractive culture to be a part of. So why should we draw the line at excluding people based on the particular type of drug they have consumed also? Drugs and dance music have gone hand in hand since the music genres inception. The hedonistic cornerstone of the dance scene has stayed in place through the genres various inceptions, from nightclubs such as Studio 54, to the early Warehouse days in New York, to its global reach to the underground raves 0f the early 90s and through the superclub era to the commercialised events we have today (Armada Music 2024). Dance music is supposed to be a safe space where you are welcome to try new things and enjoy life in a way you would be able to in “Normal Society”. When looking back at this way of thinking , is it fair to take this substance away from people? Alienation is exactly what house strives to stand against. And there are statistically worse drugs out there which have a greater impact on those who take them and those around them. We all have personal preferences and opinions, but when looking at proven statistics, the problem of Ketamine seems to be looming over us at a rate we didn’t expect. Maybe it’s time to stop thinking, and take action before it is too late.

In conclusion, Ketamine is getting increasingly more popular within our beloved House and Rave culture. OUR dancefloors are being filled and populated with people who are unable to move, and although they may be having a good time, if it is negatively impacting other peoples experiences. Should it be stopped and go against the very ethos the culture was build upon? At this time in my research and writing, I would like to propose a new question. “Is Ketamine killing our dancefloors, or is the ethos of the dance scene and House changing unknowingly and unwillingly?”.

Reference List:

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Armada Music (2024). The History of Dance Music. [online] Armada Music. Available at: https://www.armadamusic.com/news/the-history-of-dance-music.