A coroner has warned that ketamine is being wrongly seen as a 'safe' drug and should be upgraded to Class A following the death of an Ancoats businessman.
Jamie Boland, 38, died of sepsis following 'complications from chronic ketamine use', according to Coroner Alison Mutch. She has now written to the home secretary warning that people are under a 'false impression' that ketamine is safer than other drugs like cocaine, despite its potential to cause 'huge long term life changing health conditions'.
Mr Boland, who was a founder of Ancoats Coffee Co, was described by the company in a tribute as a 'pioneer' full of 'talent, knowledge and vision'.
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The prevention of future deaths report said the 38-year-old had 'long term urological damage and liver damage' caused by his chronic use of ketamine that eventually led to his death. The Class B drug is a powerful sedative used on horses and humans in clinical settings.
Ms Mutch said Mr Boland had used cocaine - a class A drug - but had later switched to ketamine - a class B drug - on the basis that he perceived it to be less harmful.
"The evidence before the inquest was that ketamine is a deeply harmful substance when used outside the purposes for which it is licenced for prescribing by clinicians and that users such as Mr Boland are unable to give it up despite knowing how dangerous it is to their health," she wrote.
"Maintaining its classification as a Class B drug was likely to encourage others to start to use it or continue to use it under the false impression it is 'safer'”.
Concluding Mr Boland's inquest, she found that though he had a non-fatal level of ketamine in his system, he died from sepsis caused by acute pyelonephritis, a complication of long term use of ketamine.
"The inquest was told that there is a significant increase in the illicit use of ketamine and that this has led to clinicians seeing a rise in potentially fatal health problems linked to its use," she wrote. "The extent of these risks rarely understood by users until the damage has been done to their health."
Mr Boland was the founder and owner of the beloved Ancoats Coffee Co, based in Royal Mills. In a post on their Facebook page the team paid tribute to the 'pioneer' behind their business.
"It is with heartfelt regret that we inform you of the passing of founder and owner Jamie Boland," they wrote in June. "Jamie’s talent, knowledge and vision for Ancoats Coffee Co. made him a pioneer in bringing specialty coffee and coffee culture to Manchester. The company was his baby, and it’s going to be tough for us all to keep on going without him.
"We’re going to continue roasting, brewing and providing quality coffee to the good people of Manchester; pushing ourselves and striving for excellence in all that we do. At the end of the day, we know that’s what Jamie would’ve wanted."
