Ketamine

Ketamine

Ketamine has substantial notoriety as a street or party drug. It has been described as a "dissociative anesthetic: a drug that distorts perception of sight and sound and produces feelings of detachment (dissociation) from the environment and self."
http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/prescription/ketamine.html
Most recently, ketamine has been put on "fast track" approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a medication to treat depression. It has been described as " the first new treatment for major depressive disorder in about half a century."
http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/17/health/ketamine-depression-treatment/index.html


Compared to other drugs of abuse, fatalities due to ketamine use or overdose are relatively rare, but they do occur. Ketamine has also been used as a date rape drug.
A critical review of ketamine can be found at the following web site.
http://www.who.int/medicines/areas/quality_safety/4.3KetamineCritReview.pdf