Australian scientists have discovered a new recreational drug that hasn't been toxicologically described anywhere in the world.
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Found at Canberra's pill testing site, the substance is similar to ketamine, a horse tranquilliser often used by humans as a party drug.
The substance hasn't been seen in Australia before, nor found elsewhere in the world.
ANU professor Malcolm McLeod said someone presented a bag of crystals and powder to the CanTEST site, confused why what they believed to be ketamine was having weird effects on them.
"When we tested the substance it was clear it wasn't ketamine, but rather a ketamine-like substance ... we have called it CanKet - as in Canberra ketamine," he said.
"Our initial reaction was 'Whoa, this is really weird'. We have no idea who made the drug and where it came from, but we now know it's out there."
Prof McLeod said scientists had a good understanding of the chemical makeup of the drug, but remained unsure about what its effects are.
Emergency department consultant and clinical drug expert David Caldicott said ketamine used recreationally was typically sourced from acute medical and veterinary conditions.
He said it should not be assumed the new substance was safe simply because it was a similar product.
"This is something quite new, which has never been reported, anywhere, by a drug checking service," associate professor Caldicott said.
"While it would be fair to say we understand ketamine very well as a drug, we literally have no other data as to what the acute or chronic effects of this close cousin might be, and that is disconcerting."
Australian Associated Press
