Brave mums who lost daughters to ketamine meet Minister

Brave mums who lost daughters to ketamine meet Minister

Two Lincoln mums who lost their daughters to the drug ketamine have taken their campaign to have the drug reclassified to the Home Office.

City MP Hamish Falconer accompanied the mothers of Sophie and Georgia to meet Sarah Jones, the new Minister for Policing and Crime.

Both girls died after taking the drug ketamine and their mothers want to see it reclassified as a Class A substance.

“Last Tuesday, I brought two of my constituents from Lincoln, Sarah and Tracy, to meet Minister Sarah Johnson, each of whom has tragically lost a daughter to ketamine,” said Hamish.

“They spoke powerfully about the need for greater awareness of the dangers of the drug and for stronger measures to protect young people. I was honoured to support them in sharing their experiences directly with the Minister, and I will continue to make sure their voices are heard.”

Ms Jones added: “It was my great privilege on the second day in my job to meet two mothers who have lost their daughters to ketamine. It is hard to imagine the courage they have, campaigning to stop other mothers losing their children, when they have to deal with their own grief.”

Sophie’s mum Tracy Marelli has been fighting to have the drug reclassified and educate people about dangers of ketamine since her daughter died, aged 20, in September 2024. She contacted Hamish for help with her campaign and introduced him to Georgia’s mum Sarah.

The picture below shows Hamish with Sarah and Georgia’s sister Jess: “I’m incredibly grateful to them for their strength and willingness to share Georgia’s story in the hope of preventing further harm.

“The impact of Ketamine in Lincoln is deeply concerning. I want to be clear: this is not an issue I will ignore. I’m committed to raising awareness, standing with affected families, and working to ensure better education, prevention, and support.”

The government has been reviewing ketamine after record levels of its recreational use were recorded in the year ending March 2023– 299,000 people aged between 16-59.

It can cause serious health problems, such as irreversible damage to the bladder and kidneys, and is one of the most detected drugs in incidents of spiking.

Recent reports have shown ketamine is often an ingredient included in ‘pink cocaine’, the dangerous synthetic drug cocktail taken by users without knowing what mix of substances it contains.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) put out a call for evidence on ketamine use and its impact among healthcare professionals and other relevant individuals in August this year and is compiling a report to government based on the responses.

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Date

16 September 2025

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News