Associations between substance use treatment and ketamine use: A hypothesis-generating analysis.
Addictive behaviors reports June 1, 2026 Fares Qeadan, Shanti O'Neil 1 citation
Among U.S. residents aged 12 and older who reported substance use in 2021-2023, past-year ketamine use was more common among those receiving substance use disorder treatment (1.39%) than among those not in treatment (0.22%). Treatment was associated with higher odds of ketamine use across multiple substance types, including alcohol, marijuana, inhalant, methamphetamine, pain reliever, and opioid use disorders. The findings suggest that past-year treatment may be a marker of elevated ketamine exposure, highlighting the need for clinical screening and patient education about unsupervised ketamine risks.