Royal Navy pleads with sailors to stop taking ketamine

[Boats]

Royal Navy pleads with sailors to stop taking ketamine amid fears that the Class B drug is rife among junior naval personnel on ships and submarines
By: Mark Nichol - The Daily Mail - 8-3-19

- Navy chiefs issued an official notice warning the drug will not be tolerated

- The hypnotic, also used as horse tranquilliser, is banned under military law

- A number of submariners failed compulsory drug tests on nuclear submarines

- The Ministry of Defense said the warning was issued as part of daily orders

Royal Navy chiefs have pleaded with sailors to stop taking ketamine – such is its popularity on ships and submarines.

Use of the Class B drug, which has been linked to seven deaths among civilian night-clubbers in the past month, is feared to be rife among junior naval personnel.

The hypnotic, which is also used as a horse tranquilizer, is banned under military law.

But chiefs thought it necessary to send an official notice to sailors warning that ketamine use ‘will not be tolerated’ and it is ‘very powerful and can cause serious harm’.

A naval source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘It makes you really scared as to the prevalence of drug taking among junior ratings if senior officers feel they need to remind them that taking ketamine is not OK.

‘But following a number of embarrassing incidents when submariners on nuclear submarines, including vessels which can carry nuclear weapons, failed compulsory drug tests, the new policy is to blitz personnel with reminders about what they surely should already know.’

Although Ketamine (also known as Amphetamine) is used by doctors and vets in controlled circumstances as a pain relief and to treat depression, it is extremely dangerous. A new craze to mix it with cocaine is feared to be behind the recent deaths of clubbers in Essex and London.

The Mail on Sunday has obtained a copy of the warning written by Commander Sean Brady.

It reads: ‘Drug misuse may be tolerated in some walks of life but the lives of those in the Naval Service depend on the reliability of each and every member of a team. Drug misuse is not only illegal, it is also incompatible with the duty of the Naval Service to preserve the safety of all personnel. You have been warned!’

Last night, the Ministry of Defense said the Ketamine warning had been issued as part of daily orders at a Naval establishment.

Note: Ketamine is a Class B drug in the UK meaning it is illegal to take, give away or sell. Anyone caught with the drug faces up to five years behind bars!

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Personal note: Long days at sea on the clock and trying to stay alert is why they are no doubt looking for some help. But like they said its dangerous and illegal. Tired drink hot coffee the caffeine will keep you jumping and awake for awhile and make sure you get right to sleep after duty. Your shipmates will be relying on you to preform your duties.
Plus your ship requires your full attention when on duty.

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