Drugs Ketamine consumption is on the rise in Switzerland
More ketamine, more crack cocaine, but slightly less cannabis and crystal meth: researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) can read from wastewater which substances the Swiss are consuming.
19.02.2026, 10:29
SDA
On Thursday, new figures from the first two quarters of 2025 were published on the substance monitoring portal "Dromedario".
Experts are particularly interested in the trends for those substances for which no or only uncertain sales figures are available, as Eawag explained in a press release on Thursday. According to the motto "Wastewater doesn't lie", they can use the wastewater data to draw conclusions about patterns, increases or decreases in consumption in society.
More ketamine at the weekend
Among other things, a significant increase in ketamine in wastewater is striking. Ketamine is an anaesthetic that is used in medical facilities. However, it is also abused, especially in the club and rave scene, where it is known as "K" or "Special K". The latest data shows that ketamine use is on the rise in Switzerland. The levels are particularly high in Zurich: the ketamine levels in Zurich's wastewater are significantly higher than the average for all ten survey locations in Switzerland.
The data does not show what proportion of this is due to medical use and what is due to abuse. However, the fact that the ketamine levels in wastewater in Zurich are significantly higher at weekends than on working days could provide an indication.
Lots of crack cocaine in wastewater in Chur
The picture is similar for crack cocaine. Eawag does not measure crack itself in wastewater, but AEME (anhydroecgonine methyl ester), a degradation product of crack. Here, too, the values rose significantly in 2025. In addition to Zurich, the values in Chur are also well above the Swiss average. Here, too, there is a notable difference between weekdays and weekends: Wastewater values are significantly higher at weekends than on working days.
In contrast, the analysis of wastewater shows that the consumption of methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth, is decreasing slightly. Crystal meth is considered one of the most dangerous drugs on the market. Since measurements began in 2021, there has been a slight decrease in methamphetamine levels in wastewater across Switzerland.
The picture is similar for cannabis: the levels of the THC degradation product THC-COOH, which can be detected in people's urine after consuming cannabis, are slightly lower in wastewater in the first two quarters of 2025 than in previous years.
