A mother from Lancashire is urging parents to learn the warning signs of ketamine use after her 25-year-old daughter died from complications linked to the drug. Beth Ashton, who worked in a pharmacy, began taking ketamine recreationally but became addicted following the stillbirth of her son Roman in 2018.
Natalie Ashton, 44, from Skelmersdale, said her daughter initially used the class-B drug as a 'boost' on nights out. However, she soon became reliant, spending up to £60 a day on ketamine. Despite her addiction, Beth remained 'high-functioning', and her mother was unaware of the problem until Beth was hospitalised in August last year.
Over the following three months, Beth's health deteriorated rapidly. She dropped to just five stone and became fully incontinent, a known side-effect of chronic ketamine use affecting the bladder lining. She died on 9 November due to complications associated with the drug.
Mrs Ashton said the system failed her daughter, with long waits for referrals and rehab. 'The support was simply not good enough,' she said. 'Ketamine is a slow killer, destroying the body before people even know they have a problem.'
She is now calling for greater awareness of the drug's dangers and for parents to recognise signs such as frequent urination, cramps, and powder around the nose. 'It robbed me of my baby,' she added.
