Gardaí have identified the drug Ketamine – an anaesthetic commonly used by vets – as becoming an increasingly popular recreational "party" drug. While seizures of the drug remain small in this country, gardaí believe the drug is becoming a popular alternative to cocaine in some parts of the country.

"It has a completely different effect than cocaine. It's available here mostly in powder form, it's a brown powder. It's much cheaper than cocaine so maybe that's one reason people are experimenting with it," according to a senior garda working in the drug enforcement area.

Ketamine is a powerful anaesthetic drug used during veterinary surgery usually for large animals. It has a depressant and hallucinogenic effect on users compared to the stimulant effect of cocaine. In the early 1990s it found its way on to the club and rave scene when people took it thinking they were buying ecstasy.

Ketamine has painkilling effects but also alters perception. People who use it commonly say they feel detached from themselves and others around them. At low doses, users will feel euphoric and experience rushes or waves of energy. At higher doses, users will often experience hallucinations, similar to LSD. This is often followed by numbness and muscle spasms.

Taking too much of the drug and becoming momentarily paralysed is known as "falling into a K-hole." This describes the peak effect of too much of the drug when the user's body becomes paralysed, while the sense of self feels removed from the body.

"It goes through periods of popularity and at the moment it seems to be very popular. We've had reports of people snorting it at parties thinking it's cocaine," the garda added.

Gardaí have sought to specifically ban the drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act but the Department of Health has no immediate plans to do so.