Ketamine control plan condemned as potential disaster for world's rural poor

Repeated Chinese attempts to tighten controls on drug described as ‘David and Goliath struggle’ between poor and rich countries
The Guardian (UK)
Friday, February 27, 2015

A proposal that is about to come before the UN to restrict global access to ketamine, a drug abused in rich countries, would deprive millions of women of lifesaving surgery in poor countries, according to medicines campaigners. Ketamine, known to clubbers by a variety of names including ket, Vitamin K and Special K, is one of the most commonly used anaesthetics in the developing world. As it is injectable, it can be used in rural areas where anaesthetic gases are unavailable.