Tranquilizer Abuse Seems to Be Rare

Carrboro police arrested two men for an early morning breaking and entering of the Animal Hospital at 112 W. Main Street in Carrboro on Oct. 10.

Lt. Jim Phillips said the men are suspected of attempting to steal the tranquilizer ketamine.

UNC student Eric Scott McCloskey, 19, of Jones Ferry Road Apt. F-9, was arrested shortly after police were called to the scene and was charged with one count of damage to property, one count of breaking and entering and one count of resisting/delaying arrest.

Jeffrey Lee Richardson, 21, of 501 Jones Ferry Road, Apt. F-12, was arrested later that morning and charged with three counts of breaking and entering, two counts of larceny and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Reports state that Richardson also is suspected to be involved in two other break-ins at the Animal Hospital. On June 26, there was a break-in, but nothing was taken. On Sept. 2, there was another break-in, and a bottle of morphine and a bottle of ketamine were stolen.

The Sept. 2 incident was the first case involving ketamine in the local area, Phillips said.

"Ketamine is an anesthetic that disconnects the brain from caring about the pain," said Dr. Wilkie Wilson, author of the book "Buzzed" and a professor of pharmacology at Duke University.

Wilson said the drug, though it has human uses, is largely reserved for animal treatment because the drug brings about undesirable hallucinations in most adults. In medical situations, the drug can be used in trauma cases in which anesthetic is needed, but the cardiovascular system can not be suppressed, according to Wilson.

But recreationally, "It is a popular drug because it produces hallucinations," said Wilson. It produces similar effects to PCP, or "angel dust."

UNC students, for the most part, seem to know little about ketamine. When asked, only a handful had heard of the drug, and of those, few knew the actual effects of the drug.

"I've heard of it, but I don't know what it does," said freshman Hinton James Residence Hall resident Siroberto Scerbo.

Additionally, most of the students who knew what ketamine was only knew of it by its street name, "Special K."

Ketamine abuse does not seem to be a large problem on campus.

"We've never had any arrests involving ketamine on campus," said Major Jeff McCracken, deputy director of the UNC Department of Public Safety.

Most students said they do not know of anyone who has ever abused the drug.

Wilson said use of the drug is probably only spotty across the country. "Ecstacy is a much more prevalent drug," said Wilson.

Wilson also noted the drug "can push you into a state of psychosis, like schizophrenia" and said anyone with a history of mental illness should steer clear of the drug.

Phillips said ketamine is "popular as a rave or party drug" and warns that the drug can be used as a date-rape drug because it can incapacitate someone who is given it.

Phillips said regulation of ketamine has not been a major problem in the area. "The facilities that maintain these drugs have excellent security."

The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.