Grieving parents are calling on major online retailers, including Amazon, Etsy, and eBay, to stop selling merchandise that they say glorifies ketamine, a drug linked to numerous deaths. The campaign gained momentum after mothers who lost children to ketamine addiction discovered T-shirts and other items with slogans and imagery that appear to normalize or even celebrate the drug's use.
One T-shirt design featured a cartoon horse with the slogan ‘GOT ANY KETAMINE? ‘CAUSE MY HORSE IS SO SICK!’, a reference to ketamine's origins as a veterinary anesthetic. Another product described as a ‘Ketamine Horse Funny Meme Graphic Gift Idea’ was found on Amazon UK. Etsy and Threadheads also listed items, including one T-shirt with the caption ‘THIS SHIRT IS CURRENTLY IN A K-HOLE,’ referring to a dissociative state caused by high doses of the drug. Some items targeted younger audiences with puns like ‘WHAT'S KETA-MINE IS KETA-YOURS’.
Jennifer Kitchen, whose son Louis died in November 2023 after becoming addicted to ketamine, expressed her dismay. "They're glorifying it, turning it into a horse," she stated. "This is used in dentists and hospitals, and they're making it look fun. Small children like that kind of look. This stuff can kill you, it normalises it."
Louis Kitchen, 23, became addicted after using ketamine at festivals. By October 2023, his bladder was severely damaged, and despite efforts to quit, he died weeks later. Ms. Kitchen has launched a petition advocating for ketamine to be reclassified as a Class A drug.
Vicky Unwin lost her daughter Louise Cattell in 2011 at the age of 21. Ms. Cattell drowned in a bathtub after taking ketamine, unaware her tolerance had decreased. Ms. Unwin described the merchandise as insensitive and said it normalizes a drug that is destroying lives and communities. "Nobody would glorify heroin in this way," she added.
Parents have reported the items to the retailers, citing violations of policies against promoting illegal or harmful activities. However, some have received responses indicating the listings did not breach site policies or that the items were removed only after significant complaint. Shein confirmed that products were removed and an investigation launched, while Threadheads stated the issue was escalated. Products were still available on Amazon, Etsy, and eBay at the time of reporting.
Ketamine, classified as a Class B drug in the UK, is reportedly linked to at least one death per week. Its use among individuals aged 16 to 24 has more than doubled since 2021, according to the notes.