Kick Out Ket: Burnley Express and Fr Alex Frost calling for a children's ketamine clinic in Lancashire

Our calls follow the news that Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool has launched a recovery programme for minors. The hospital is considered to be the first in England to offer this service.

Now, as part of our Kick Our Ket campaign, we're urging local authorities to bring a similar programme closer to home.

Fr Alex Frost, a vicar at St Matthew’s Church in Burnley, believes there is not enough support for children facing ketamine addiction. This Class B substance is a powerful anaesthetic that can cause irreversible bodily harm and even death. Fr Alex says he regularly speaks to families struggling to access child detox or rehab services, with their GPs instead referring them for "talking therapy" or giving them a leaflet about ketamine's impact.

"One mother was told to buy her daughter a new dress to cheer her up a bit. It's just bonkers," he said.

He believes GPs require more guidance from the authorities regarding the best support pathways for minors. He also thinks GPs should conduct a comprehensive medical assessment on children who present with ketamine addiction, given its impact on the nose, bladder, liver, kidneys, and a person's weight and mental health.

"There needs to be a proper programme for how we are going to treat children, looking at how severe their addiction is, and what the appropriate treatment is. If they have been using ketamine for a long time, it has gone beyond talking. It's something more sinister.”

Fr Alex fears that a delay in tackling the ketamine crisis will see it spiral "out of control".

"I think the key is early intervention. The consequences of just leaving it as it is are tenfold. There's the continuing impact on children's health, and any aspirations or career goals they have will be impacted.

"There's the impact on parents. One of the things that saddens me is the number of parents I have spoken to, really good parents, really good people, who are worried sick and want the best for their children.

"Then the impact on siblings doesn't always get mentioned. They see the impact of the drug on someone who should be a role model to them.

"Then you have the impact on the national health system, the potential impact of treating more and more people whose bladders have collapsed. That's going to land on someone's door, on the NHS, on the foot of the taxpayer. There's every good reason to nip this in the bud or be proactive before it gets out of control, if it's not already. It's not going away. I don't know what the delay is.

"People say, 'You've got to let the experts do their work'.

"Who are the experts? They're the kids and families who are living it daily."

However, after months of speaking out about ketamine, he has seen a rise in awareness, adding: "I have been really encouraged by people's responses. I don't feel we're talking to a brick wall anymore. I think people do care and are working away at it, but now we need to keep the fight on track and make sure stakeholders who can affect change are determined to do this."