Etomidate

Introduction📖 "Space oil" drugs are synthetic drugs. Their principle ingredient is etomidate, which is an anaesthetic used in hospitals💉. It is likely that "space oil" drugs also contain other drugs, such as methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin, making abusers to be more addicted in a short period of time😵. In mainland China and Chinese Taipei, they are called "head-rush e-cigarette🚬" and "zombie smoke bombs🧟" respectively.

‼️Since etomidate can produce a sense of sedation very quickly, drug dealers will mix them with fruity e-liquid for sale🚫, giving "space oil" as a name to markets. This means abusers will become "head-rush" rapidly and have a psychedelic feeling of floating in space😵‍💫. This narrative may attract teenagers to fall into this sugar-coated traps, ignoring the nature of drugs of etomidate‼️

"快上快落" can be used to summarize body reactions after abusing etomidate, meaning that effects become apparent and strong rapidly (usually within a few minutes), but compared to other drugs, they have low maintenance of drug efficacy. This characteristic favours abusers not to be discovered their illegal behaviours. What is the guise of etomidate?🤔

Drug dealers will mix etomidate with e-liquid. Since they are colourless and odourless, it is difficult to identify them from appearance, probably making citizens to violate the law unwittingly🫠

Any harms to health after abusing?🤢

 -Short Term-

🤖Losing control of body functions: drop in blood pressure, epileptic seizure and nausea

😵‍💫Hallucinogenic: hallucination, which lead to panic, self-harm or violence

🧟Loss of mobility: muscle spasm, ataxia, unconsciousness

❤️‍🩹Mood fluctuation: causing psychological symptoms, such as fear, anxiety and a sense of losing control

-Long Term-

🤤Addiction: causing psychological dependence, which is difficult to have a withdrawal

🧠Permanent damage of brain: damaging cognitive functions (memory, attention, judgement) and causing permanent mental disorder (e.g. schizophrenia, mixed anxiety and depressive disorder)

☠️Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome: causing irreversible damage to the heart, liver and kidney

😵Endocrine disorder: imbalance secretion of corticosteroid and hormone

Who will be the suspected abusers of etomidate?🧐

🧟Stand and walk unsteadily, or even fall (like zombie)

🫨Muscle spasm with trembling hands and feet

😵‍💫Confusion

Final Reminder🦉

Etomidate have replaced cannabis and become the most common type of drugs abused by teenagers in 2025 Q1, implying that we cannot ignore their potential threats😱. Since 14th February 2025, <Dangerous Drugs Ordinance> specifies that both "smoking, inhaling, ingesting and injecting", possession, trafficking and manufacture of etomidate are illegal🚫. If you suspect someone you know is smoking, inhaling, ingesting or injecting etomidate, you may suggest him/her calling the Anti-drug Hotline 186 186 for professional assistance☎️. Otherwise, you may directly call the Police Drug Reporting Hotline 2527 1234☎️, helping him/her to stop drug abuse.

References🔍

Hong Kong Police Force, Narcotics Division of Security Bureau, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of The University of Hong Kong