Talented teenage boxer died after taking cocktail of drugs including ketamine after work night out
Eighteen-year-old boxer Calum Naylor died after taking drugs, including ketamine, at a house party following a night out with workmates. A coroner has warned that young people are underestimating ketamine’s risks, saying there is no safe “little bit” and that apparent intoxication can signal a medical emergency.
The inquest heard that Naylor had been drinking and may also have taken drugs including “pink cocaine” and Xanax before reaching the party in Notting Hill in the early hours of 7 December 2024. He drank vodka, snorted ketamine and went to lie down; friends later found him unresponsive and called an ambulance, but he died in hospital. Ketamine is a Class B drug, and the article says around 270,000 people in England and Wales use it.
In short
- Calum Naylor, 18, died after taking ketamine at a party.
- A coroner warned against treating ketamine use as harmless.
- The inquest heard he had taken several drugs during a night out.
Explained simply
Ketamine is a drug used in medicine, but it is also taken recreationally and is illegal to possess without authorisation in the UK. It can affect awareness and movement, and mixing it with alcohol or other drugs can make its effects harder to predict.
Calum Naylor was an 18-year-old boxer whose death followed a night out with workmates and a party in west London. An inquest is a formal investigation into a death, and can examine the circumstances and identify risks that may help prevent similar deaths.