✕ Sensationalism [3/10]: The headline uses a sensationalist quote and framing ('party drug epidemic taking hold') that overstates the scope of the issue and prioritises shock value over measured reporting.

"‘There were times when I stayed up for three days taking ket’ – inside the party drug epidemic taking hold in Ireland"

✕ Headline / Body Mismatch [2/10]: The article begins not with the topic promised in the headline, but with an unrelated anecdote about a woman wearing a child-sized waistcoat at her mother’s funeral, creating a misleading and emotionally manipulative lead.

"On the day of her mother’s funeral in 2024, Sarah* wore a waistcoat from the children’s section in River Island – for girls aged 11 to 12."

✕ Loaded Language [8/10]: The phrase 'party drug epidemic' uses emotionally charged language to frame ketamine use as a spreading crisis, despite no supporting data.

"party drug epidemic taking hold in Ireland"

✕ Sympathy Appeal [7/10]: Describing someone wearing a child-sized waistcoat at a funeral is presented without context, inviting pity or judgment without explanation.

"Sarah* wore a waistcoat from the children’s section in River Island – for girls aged 11 to 12."

✕ Single-Source Reporting [9/10]: The story relies entirely on a single anonymous source (Sarah*) with no counter-perspective from medical experts, law enforcement, or public health officials.

"‘There were times when I stayed up for three days taking ket’"

✕ Anonymous Source Overuse [8/10]: The use of an anonymous source with a dramatic personal story, without corroboration or balancing viewpoints, undermines credibility.

"Sarah*"

✕ Episodic Framing [8/10]: The story is framed as a personal crisis narrative rather than an examination of drug use trends, policy, or public health, reducing a complex issue to an individual drama.

✕ Narrative Framing [7/10]: The use of the word 'epidemic' in the headline imposes a dramatic narrative not supported by evidence in the body.

"inside the party drug epidemic taking hold in Ireland"