24/06/2025
Fans of the popular television sitcom Friends, which aired between the late 1990s and early 2000s, were shocked when they received the news in October 2023 that Matthew Perry, one of the stars of the series, had passed away. The autopsy report that was released two months after his death, revealed that he had died due to the “acute effects of ketamine,” which led to his drowning in a hot tub in his house. Ten months later, a doctor and an alleged San Fernando Valley drug dealer, who were part of five people, were arrested in connection with this well-known actor’s death (ANI, 2024).
Ketamine might not be as well-known as drugs such as co***ne, he**in, amphetamine, cannabis and ecstasy, but it is nonetheless popular. It is also referred to as a “club drug” with popularity among teenagers and young adults, especially those who love to “rave” or party at a dance club (DEA, 2020). In Servamus’s own Drugs and Occult-related crime: The Facts and Answers publication, former colleague Madaleen Fourie (2000) wrote that ketamine is an anaesthetic commonly used for people but especially for veterinary purposes.
[This is only an extract of an article published in Servamus: June 2025. This article is available for purchase on our website: www.servamus.co.za.]
