ITV News has spoken to frontline services across Cheshire who are calling for more awareness as ketamine use sweeps through children as young as 11.
Local leaders in Cheshire are battling to keep ketamine at bay across the county, with children as young as twelve believed to be using the drug, and dealers as young as thirteen.
Warnings have been issued over the "life-changing" consequences prolonged use of the drug could have.
Councillors have described the drug as so cheap and accessible school-aged kids are opting to buy it instead of a packet of crisps and fizzy drink.
We accompanied Cheshire Police as they carried out raids on four addresses, arresting four people – three of them teens – suspected of supplying ketamine to young people across the area.
The north-west of England appears to be a test-case for how use of the drug continues to increase with younger, teenage users across the rest of the UK.
“We’ve seen people as young as thirteen involved in this. I just don’t think there’s an understanding of how dangerous this drug is”, Detective Inspector Upile Mtitimila told me.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before. Up until now ketamine has managed to stay under the radar. The consequences can be life changing and we’re working to stop that. Particularly in the North West, there’s a recognition that it is an issue.”
Over the course of our investigation I heard multiple examples of teachers across Cheshire moving children on in the playground at schools over concerns drug dealing could be taking place.
DI Mtitimila explains this isn’t new: “This isn’t something I’m learning from you. We’re working really hard with our partners in education to make sure this isn’t happening.”
“We can’t just arrest our way out of this so for kids, we need to look at what success looks like for them and that’s all those other societal measures."
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