RAVE SCENE ADOPTS VET'S MEDICINE AS HOT DRUG

Tranquilizer Usually Used On Animals

Drug dealers targeting the city's popular rave scene are "pushing the
envelope" with a narcotic usually used to tranquilize animals, say police.

The drug, known in its true form as ketamine, popped up at Calgary's
all-night dances last year and has since been a focus of two undercover
police operations.

The operations -- dubbed E-motion and Wisk-E by police -- lead to 15
arrests and the seizure of more than 650 ecstasy pills, 10 ounces of
ketamine, LSD and magic mushrooms.

Ketamine causes hallucinations, fear, confusion, delirium and neurosis when
ingested by humans.

On Thursday, members of the CPS drug unit displayed a portion of the
powdered ketamine that they had confiscated from an alleged Calgary trafficker.

"This is an extremely large seizure when you consider we found a half a
pound of (ketamine). The normal dosage is a line, or a 10th of a gram,"
said Det. Pat Tetley. "When you see it in a quantity like this, this is
large-scale commercial trafficking procedures."

Ketamine is highly addictive and users must steadily increase their dosage
to get a high.

"It's used by these kids at these dance parties because it puts them in a
stupefied condition, very much like being very intoxicated," said Tetley.

"The problem is that the most gratifying effects for them is when they are
near total anesthesia and they enter in the 'K-state' or 'K-hole,' and they
can have an out-of-body experience."

Ketamine is frequently used by veterinarians in liquid format. It is
injected into animals for medical reasons.

"Reality is, you can't go to a pharmacy and buy ketamine," he said. "This
is all done very clandestinely through break-ins or something on the black
market."

The popularity of ketamine is reaching the point of ecstasy usage, a fact
that concerns investigators.

"We as a police service, and the community for that matter, should be very
concerned about this," said Tetley. "When you consider that you have kids
as young as 13 or 14 years old going to these (raves) and our undercover
operators being able to buy drugs off kids that young, knowing full well
they're ingesting the same thing at that age, we're very concerned."

Tetley said drug unit officers see parents dropping their kids off at the
raves, assuming they are in a safe, controlled environment.

Many all-night dances have security, and patrons are searched before they
enter. Despite the efforts, police say the drugs are rampant.

"There is nothing good that can come of this. (Ketamine) is not to be used
for normal, everyday consumption," said Tetley.

Police have released the name of the man charged with allegedly having a
large stash of ketamine at his Calgary home.

Lindsay John Ferguson, 23, faces 15 charges, including trafficking and
possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Ferguson has also been charged with seven offences under the Food and Drug Act.

New Drug From the Stable

- - Drug: Ketamine is used by veterinarians and doctors as an anesthetic.

- - Nicknames: K or Special K.

- - Effect: High lasts for about an hour and causes a disassociative,
hallucinogenic state. In the "K-state" or "K-hole," a user can seem to have
an out-of-body experience. It also causes hallucinations, fear, confusion,
delirium and neurosis. And it can cause someone to stop breathing and die.

- - Cost on the street: $35 for a half-gram vial, approximately the same
price as an equivalent amount of cocaine.