New York prosecutors have reopened an investigation into allegations by a former Cornell University student that she was drugged and raped by seven students at a campus fraternity in 2024.

The woman alleged in a lawsuit that the rape began after members of the fraternity pressured her into snorting ketamine.

Ketamine is a powerful anesthetic commonly used in veterinary medicine as a tranquilizer for horses.

In human medicine it is used as a treatment for depression and in sedation for surgical procedures – but is also used illegally for recreational purposes.

When taken recreationally, it has hallucinogenic effects, distorting perceptions of sight and sound and making users feel not in control. And the number of Americans taking ketamine recreationally has risen in recent years, jumping up 40 percent from 2021 to 2022, according to the latest federal data.

What is ketamine?

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that can help provide pain relief and induce amnesia.

Just a few minutes after taking the drug, users may experience an increase in heart rate and blood pressure that gradually decreases over the next 10 to 20 minutes, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.

It is produced commercially in the U.S., and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this use, as well as for treatment-resistant depression.

But the drug is also abused for these effects and has been used to facilitate sexual assault, the DEA says. Ketamine is illegal for recreational use and is listed as a Schedule III substance under the Controlled Substances Act. It has also been used as a date rape drug. Possession of ketamine can lead to a prison sentence.

Studies have suggested that recreational use of ketamine is on the rise in the U.S.

Common street names for the drug include Cat Tranquilizer, Cat Valium, Jet K, Kit Kat, Purple, Special K, Special La Coke, Super Acid, Super K and Vitamin K.

Most of the ketamine illegally distributed in the U.S. is diverted or stolen from veterinary clinics and other legitimate sources or smuggled into the country from Mexico.

How is it used?

Ketamine comes in a clear liquid or as a white or off-white powder.

Powdered ketamine is snorted or smoked, while liquid ketamine is injected or mixed into drinks.

Sometimes, ketamine is combined with other drugs, including MDMA, amphetamine, methamphetamine or cocaine.

The effects of ketamine are usually felt between one and 30 minutes after taking the drug and last for around an hour, according to Canada’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Are there side effects?

Ketamine can make users unresponsive to the senses.

When in this state, people experience involuntary rapid eye movement, dilated pupils, salivation, tear secretions, and stiffening of the muscles.

The drug can also cause nausea, agitation, depression and cognitive difficulties.

An overdose can cause unconsciousness and dangerously slowed breathing.

Use by celebrities

Elon Musk has publicly discussed his prescription for ketamine, telling CNN that the drug helps him alleviate a “negative chemical mind state,” adding that investors in his companies should want him to keep taking it.

He said: “There are times when I have sort of a … negative chemical state in my brain, like depression I guess, or depression that’s not linked to any negative news, and ketamine is helpful for getting one out of the negative frame of mind.”

Musk told CNN that he got the drug from “an actual, real doctor” and that he took it about “once every other week.”

Friends actor Matthew Perry died in October 2023 partly from the effects of ketamine.

At the time, he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy to address mental health problems.

Comedian and actor Pete Davidson has said he abused ketamine before getting treatment for drug abuse, revealing he was high on the drug at Aretha Franklin’s funeral in 2018.

In 2021 Sharon Osbourne said she underwent ketamine therapy to get through a “difficult patch” following her departure from The View.

Link to Cornell accusations

The former Cornell University student who has filed a lawsuit accusing seven men of raping her said she was pressured into snorting a white powder she believed to be ketamine. She claims that during her ordeal the men snorted the drug off her body. Reporting of the allegations have revived a national conversation about sexual assault and campus fraternities.

The lawsuit also names the men’s fraternity, the university and her sorority.

The men have denied any wrongdoing.

On Thursday New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed State Attorney General Letitia James to lead an “active criminal investigation” into the case, saying police and local prosecutors had previously “failed” the accuser, known as Jane Doe to protect her anonymity.

For those affected by rape and sexual abuse, if you are in the United States, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673).

Rape Crisis also offers support.You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk.