New fears over rise of dance drug ketamine

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DrugScope found that users were also taking higher doses of the classC stimulant as prices fall. A gram of ketamine, known as "Special K" or "raver's smack", has dropped in price by a third in three years and now costs £20, half the price of a gram of cocaine, the poll found.

The survey also revealed that the taking of ketamine, which in low doses is used legally as a horse tranquilliser or medical anaesthetic, was on the rise in nine out of 20 areas assessed, including London, backing up evidence from the British Crime Survey last year which showed a 10per cent rise on 2006/07.

Deaths from ketamine, which can cause heart or lung failure, are most often linked to accidents. There were 23 ketamine-related fatalities between 1993 and 2006.