Potent powders can produce a nearly catatonic state, particularly in those who have not tried the drug before.
ยฉ Sandy Huffaker for The New York Times
Ketamine is a useful sedative and antidepressant at light doses. At stronger doses, it is a powerful anesthetic, but at repeated high doses, it deadens sensation, leaving users conscious but unable to act.
Surging drug use has contributed to an epidemic in the Pacific island nation, where one in 60 adults is estimated to be living with the virus.
ยฉ Agence France-Presse โ Getty Images
An H.I.V. awareness poster displayed in Suva, Fiji, in April. The nation recorded more than 2,000 new cases in 2025, 16 times as many as in 2019, officials said.