In an elementary school in Val-de-Marne, a sachet of white powder found on the way to class triggered a large emergency response on May 12, 2026 and caused great anxiety among parents. At Marcel-Cachin elementary school in Villejuif, five students felt unwell after handling and inhaling this substance during recess. Firefighters, police officers and the specialized NRBC group of Paris firefighters (protection group against nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical risks) immediately converged on the establishment to identify the product.
Analyzes from the central laboratory of the Paris police headquarters confirmed that it was
ketaminea powerful anesthetic normally reserved for the operating room. The Val-de-Marne prefecture has corrected an initial report showing 25 students exposed: only five children inhaled the powder and all are doing well. “There were no hospitalizations“, specifies the prefecture. The educational team was alerted at midday and immediately notified the firefighters and national police.
Villejuif: ketamine at the Marcel-Cachin school
According to Villejuif town hall, the student who brought the bag found it near a metro station on their way to school. Arriving in class, he presented the powder to four classmates by throwing “It’s sugar“One of the children then alerted management.”She immediately picked up the bag and called the fire brigade.“, relates the academic management, which made it possible to stop the exhibition very quickly.
The five children were examined on site by the emergency services, with blood tests, while the school was closed off while the Paris firefighters intervened. The academic management specifies that “There was no interruption of classes” and that activities continued normally. At the end of the day, many parents admitted to being afraid when picking up their children.
Ketamine: anesthetic drug and dissociative drug
Drugs info service recalls that ketamine was originally “a drug used in anesthesia”. Indeed, ketamine is a fast-acting anesthetic used in medical or veterinary surgery. Outside of hospitals, this product circulates mainly in the form of an odorless white powder, sometimes nicknamed “special K”. Snorted, smoked or mixed with a drink, it causes a feeling of detachment from the body, drowsiness, coordination problems and strong disorientation.
According to Drugs Info Service, this drug can cause a “bad trip” with anxiety, distressing hallucinations, panic attacks and delusional flashes. At high doses or associated with alcohol, some users report a “K-hole”, an experience where they can no longer move or speak, lose all bearings and have the impression of experiencing imminent death. Drugs info service and Health Canada also mention an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness and, in the long term, severe cystitis, abdominal pain, kidney, liver and memory damage.
Ketamine and children: what are the risks?
Above all, the Villejuif case reminds parents that accidental exposure must always lead to supervision of the child.
Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of True Medical reminds us that “ketamine comes in the form of a white crystalline powder or liquid (ampoules, vials). Ketamine powder, often snorted, quickly causes dissociation (a feeling of detachment from the body from reality), with euphoria, hallucinations, even heart rhythm disturbances or a coma.
In the event of accidental intake, especially in children, he specifies that the evaluation of the quantity inhaled and the duration of exposure is fundamental. “Depending on these parameters and the initial condition, hospitalization may be necessary to monitor breathing, state of consciousness (drowsiness, difficulty waking up), heart rate and cardiovascular or neurological disorders.“.
While waiting for help, you must keep the child perfectly calm, never give him something to drink or try to make him vomitand place him in the safety position if he is drowsy or vomiting, while preparing the packaging of the product to show it to doctors.