What are 'zombie cigarettes'? Japan's youth sedative-laced vape trend

Police in Okinawa say at least 10 people, mostly teenagers and people in their 20s, were arrested by the end of September for possessing etomidate, a hospital anaesthetic that depresses parts of the brain responsible for balance and coordination. In May, the government designated etomidate a prohibited drug, making its use, possession, and import illegal in principle, The Mainichi reports.

The crackdown intensified in October with the arrest of Yuto Agarie, alleged leader of a trafficking group. Investigators say they found about 63.84g of etomidate-containing liquid at his home in Urasoe, which they believe was intended for sale. Local police suspect the group was the main supplier in Okinawa, where youth vaping of sedative-laced liquids has raised alarms.

Etomidate is used overseas to induce anaesthesia for surgery, but in vape form it can cause sudden loss of consciousness, loss of motor control and spasms in the hands and legs, doctors warn. The drug is being advertised on encrypted messaging apps and sold via social media, often in flavoured and unflavoured cartridges designed for e-cigarette devices.

In August and September, three Chinese men in their 20s living near Tokyo were arrested for allegedly smuggling around 100g of etomidate from India via Singapore. Japan’s Health Ministry narcotics unit says the suspects took online orders, dissolved the powder into liquid, filled cartridges and sold them repeatedly across the Tokyo area. 

Meanwhile, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime has flagged the trend and reported in March that etomidate and similar compounds have surfaced on illicit markets in East and Southeast Asia in recent years, including China.