U.K. bans gay
party drug

The U.K. government on Sunday banned all sales of the drug ketamine, often taken as a party drug by gay men in the United Kingdom and the United States, 365gay.com reports. The drug, known in clubs as Special K or just as the letter K, had been available in the U.K. with a prescription, but it is now banned entirely in the country. It is not available for human use in the United States but is used as a veterinary anesthetic in the U.S. and abroad.

Ketamine, which can come in a liquid or powder form, is a hallucinogen chemically similar to PCP or "angel dust" that commonly produces an out-of-body experience that lasts for approximately one hour. High doses of the medication can cause unconsciousness or coma. Ketamine also is often used as a date rape drug because of its anesthetic effects. (Advocate.com)