How Cops Can Tell When You Are High on Ketamine

[Ian David]

Can someone balance on one leg when they are high on the anesthetic ketamine? This was the central question of a research paper written by government researchers in Hong Kong.

To find an answer, a team of social workers and scientists stood outside of two different nightclubs and asked 62 people to perform a series of sobriety tests in the parking lot or a nearby playground.

<snip>

Wing-Chi Cheng led the effort to develop criteria for an effective sobriety test. In the journal Forensic Science International, he concluded that ketamine users had normal body temperature and blood pressure, but some of them had a rather fast pulse. The best indicators of ketamine misuse are failures to complete two parts of a standard field test. To be more specific, 77 percent of the impaired volunteers could not walk in a straight line and turn on cue while distracted with questions and further instructions. The same number of ketamine users could not balance on one leg for 30 seconds.

The authors found the criteria that they wanted -- failure to pass those simple divided attention tests would provide sufficient grounds for blood or urine drug testing. So partygoers that can't keep their balance at the end of the night may not have a legal leg to stand on.

More:
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/07/how-cops-can-te.html

[annabanana]

1. Jeez. I'm old. I don't even know what Ketamine IS. . . . . . n/t

[napi21]

6. I never heard of it either. Here's a wiki link.if you care.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketamine

[Sanctified]

2. I can't balance on one leg sober.

n/t

[Sal Minella]

3. ... and what's more, I never could, either.....

[EFerrari]

4. What the hell is ketamine and why have I never had any?

lol

[Coexist]

5. glad I'm not the only one - I only just learned about something

called hypnotiq.

[pitohui]

7. you wouldn't want it -- someone on it is likely a rape victim not a criminal

it's an animal tranquilizer, the results include memory loss, and the reason it is given is so you can rape the boy or girl and he or she has no memory of what happened and can't testify against you

in other words if you're on ketamine you were a victim of a crime not the instigator

this world of injustice and unfairness truly sucks if you ask me

<trying to repress rant here>

[EFerrari]

8. OMG! They tried it as an anti-depressant and NIH reports

good results! Yeah, when you dissociate, you are no longer depressed. :wow:

[Ian David]

9. GLeeMONEX

[EFerrari]

13. LOL!

[Sin]

10. Or its other name is.

Special K

I think it was first used in ww1 or 2 I forget which as knock out drug.
Now its mainly used as an animal tranquilizer this is one of the drugs people break into vets for.

they stopped using it on humans because of its side effects namely out of body experience, extreme euphoria
its mainly used by people who like to attend raves and the like thats all the info I have off the top of my head.

[NC_Nurse]

11. The thousand-mile stare is a clue.

It's still used in anesthesia, esp. on elderly and sometimes on mentally unstable or
challenged patients.
It makes them REALLY spaced - like thorazine or something. Sometimes it's used for kids too.
I've never liked to get patients who've had it in recovery, it seems to make them more out of it.

I can't imagine doing it for fun. Ewwww!

[KG]

12. i did this stuff back in the 70's.

the most disorienting drug i ever did. i liked it, but was careful not to do too much or too often...

[mainegreen]

14. Jesus, I can't walk in a straight line sober, and forget about balancing for 30 seconds.

My name might as well be Mr. Wobbly Zig-Zag. It drives my wife nuts, because when we walk together I always bump into her every twenty steps or so.

[IdaBriggs]

15. Get thee to a chiropractor! You probably had a v-neck something

as a babe! :)

[Horse with no Name]

16. We use it for conscious sedation in pediatric patients

Very effective for amnesia.