Sit Down to Float: The Cultural Meaning of Ketamine Use in Hong Kong

Abstract

From the late 1990s onward, ketamine use among young persons in Hong Kong grew rapidly becoming the drug of choice. This article examines ketamine's attraction in Hong Kong, and in so doing aims to uncover the cultural meaning of ketamine use. The analysis explores the emergence and shifts in meanings and experiences of those who initiate and continue to use ketamine. The data stems from a comparative study of the social setting of club drug use in Hong Kong, San Francisco and Rotterdam. We draw from 100 in-depth interviews to examine the experiences of young persons who have used drugs in dance venues in Hong Kong. Our findings indicate that ketamine has become embedded in a distinctively working class youth dance scene, is accessible in terms of supply and cost, shared among groups of friends and results in a stimulating yet liberating experience beyond that of ecstasy.