Since 2021, governments in Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore have struggled to get ahead of etomidate vapes, which first appeared in mainland China. Now, just three years later, the drug has surfaced in Philadelphia’s illicit drug supply, primed to spread across American streets.
“This is the first time etomidate has been detected in illicit drugs being used in Philadelphia, and it is possibly the first time etomidate has been detected in an illicit drug in the United States,” the Philadelphia Department of Public Health reported.
“Young people experimenting may not even realize what they are smoking until they find themselves overwhelmed minutes later.”
In Asia, etomidate is being packaged to appeal to young users—vaped in “zombie cigarettes” in Japan, inhaled as “space oil” in China, and sold in pod-style cartridges called “Kpods” in Singapore.
Just a toke or two of etomidate can cause agitation, mood swings, aggression, suicidal behavior, psychosis, confusion, weakness, shaking, adrenal dysfunction, blood pressure changes, cardiac arrhythmias—and, of course, addiction and overdose.
The first fatality attributed solely to etomidate involved a 47-year-old man.
But he may be just the beginning.
Etomidate is already widely available through an international network of criminal organizations, including the Taiwan mafia, Vietnamese manufacturers, the Japanese Yakuza and traffickers in India.
“Claims that e-cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes are dangerously misleading. They are often just as harmful, even more so when laced with narcotics,” said Teo Yik Ying, dean of the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.
“Because it is impossible for e-cigarette users to determine the ingredients of vape juices, drug-laced vapes are virtually indistinguishable from the standard variants. Young people experimenting may not even realize what they are smoking until they find themselves overwhelmed minutes later.”
Six individuals in Japan required medical treatment after vaping etomidate.
The novelty of etomidate means its short- and long-term health impacts are still poorly understood. But arrests for possession have already taken place in Okinawa, where two men were caught with e-cigarette liquid laced with etomidate in July, and in Singapore, where a man was arrested with over 40 etomidate vape pods—the first such offense in the nation since etomidate became a Class C drug.
“There are indications that etomidate might also be illegally produced rather than diverted from legal sources,” the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said. “For instance, in December 2024, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board in Thailand reported on a seizure of 2,200 liters and 250 kilograms of chemicals … that could have been used for the production of 200 kilograms of illicit etomidate.”
In the US, etomidate is not scheduled as a controlled substance but is legal only for medical use. Teenagers vaping it illegally face little deterrence.
In fact, the drug is likely to be around for a very long time before the authorities shut it down. That’s because there’s always a delay in government action when a new and dangerous drug appears on the scene.
In Malaysia, for example, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said, “We do not make decisions purely based on deaths or isolated incidents, but through a stringent evidence-based evaluation process.… [We are] examining the public health risks, legal ramifications and the long-term impact of such substances on society. The matter has also drawn the attention of the Cabinet, with the Prime Minister himself directing a careful review of the situation.
“We are heading towards a ban, but it cannot be rushed. It must be based on clinical data and follow due regulatory process.”
In other words, don’t hold your breath.
Meanwhile, other Asian countries are already putting on their battle britches and attacking etomidate with serious laws and punishments.
Under Hong Kong law, simple possession of etomidate can result in a seven-year sentence and a fine of over $125,000, while selling the substance can result in life imprisonment, with a fine of over $640,000.
In August, Singapore stiffened fines, lengthened jail terms and even added corporal punishment to its list of penalties for vaping. If you’re caught dealing etomidate, drop your drawers and get ready for a sentence of up to 20 years and a caning (literally) of up to 15 strokes.
Ouch!
The question of course is, with all the risk, why do people abuse etomidate—or any dangerous drug?
From heroin to fentanyl to nitazenes and, now, etomidate, people continue to play Russian roulette with their lives, never knowing which pill, which injection, which puff will be the one that takes them to the grave, or down the bitter road of addiction and disaster.
It’s why education is the key to saving lives.
The Truth About Drugs, a global education outreach program sponsored by the Church of Scientology, has distributed over 170 million copies of its 15 educational booklets. Each booklet takes up a different commonly abused drug, empowering youth with the straight facts they need to choose to live their lives drug-free.
All told, the program has reached 1 billion souls with the straight facts, and over 1,000 law enforcement and government groups have praised the program and use it regularly, as do thousands of schools.
We need these materials in every school, every church, every youth group and all over. Kids need to be told the plain, unvarnished truth about drugs and the havoc they can wreak.
We must try to save these precious lives.
Because most will listen.
