With its strict drug laws, it can be hard to get high in Japan. That leads some people to resort to any means necessary for a buzz. The latest dangerous trend is leading to calls for tighter regulations, with some calling for an outright ban on all vaping.
Zombie cigarettes: An anaesthetic in smokable form
Heated tobacco products (HTP) in Japan are popular and readily available. By contrast, vaping is in a weird Twilight Zone. It’s legal to buy vaping pens. It’s not legal to sell vaping liquid. However, there are no restrictions on purchasing vaping cartridges from abroad.
Some vaping users are adding a little extra something to their cartridges, though. That “something” is etomidate, an intravenous anaesthetic.
Developed in 1964 in the United States, etomidate is used for general anaesthesia and sedation. It’s often employed for conscious sedation for its rapid onset effects. It doesn’t lead to a rapid drop in blood pressure, giving it a safer cardiovascular profile than similar anaesthetics.
Etomidate isn’t approved for use in Japan. That hasn’t stopped some users from inhaling cartridges of the stuff, which is being sold under the nickname “laughing gas.” The substance reportedly causes users’ legs to grow numb and to lose control of their bodies. This can lead to them stumbling around like “zombies.”
Could Japan ban vaping entirely?
Several prefectures in Japan – notably Mie and Okinawa – have reported an increasing number of cases of users who don’t smell drunk but are walking around in the so-called “zombie” state induced by the product. In Okinawa, police arrested several users – a 16-year-old and two 20-year-olds – for possession of “zombie cigarettes” back in July.
The arrests are leading to larger calls to crack down on possession of etomidate. The problem, according to officials from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), is that no one really knows how it’s getting into the country.
“Zombie cigarettes” have grown in popularity in other Asian countries this year. Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, and others view it as a serious health concern. In late 2024, authorities in Taiwan seized 135 kilograms of vaping cartridges that contained etomidate.
In Singapore, the drug is known as “K-Pods.” Authorities and health care experts in the country are raising alarm bells over research showing the detrimental effects of long-term etomidate use, which include gut-brain disruption, depression, anxiety, and adrenal toxicity.
While etomidate isn’t approved for use in Japan, it wasn’t explicitly designated as a controlled substance until May 16th, which officially banned any production, sale, possession, and use. That’s making it hard for authorities to crack down on the drug.
As a result, some are calling for a blanket ban on vaping. They argue that, once a substance like “zombie cigarettes” becomes rampant in Japan, it may be difficult or even impossible to uproot it.
A game of cat and mouse
Illegal drug use is heavily frowned upon and swiftly punished in Japan. Even celebrities caught using drugs can see their careers vanish overnight. While the country recently took steps towards legalizing marijuana for medicinal use, recreational use of the drug remains strictly illegal.
That doesn’t stop people from chasing a high, however. Most opt for semi-legal means, such as taking high doses of cold medicines containing codeine, which can be purchased over-the-counter in restricted quantities.
Others resort to THC derivatives or other substances that aren’t explicitly banned. This leads to a whack-a-mole game in which authorities rush to add the variant to the banned substances list. In 2023, for example, the country added HHCH, or hexahydrocannabihexol, a synthetic form of THC, to the list after several kids landed in the hospital from eating HHCH gummies.
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「ゾンビタバコ」広がる危険 未承認の医薬品成分「エトミデート」 体の制御奪う症状 吸引具の電子たばこ規制の声も. Tokyo Shimbun
「ゾンビタバコ」沖縄で流行？ 禁止2か月で少年含む“逮捕者”相次ぐ…「知らなかった」は通用しない“指定薬物”所持の罪【弁護士が解説】Ben54.jp
Etomidate. Wikipedia
‘Zombie cigarettes’: Thai authorities warn of deadly drug-laced vapes. SCMP
Police announce record seizure of ‘zombie cigarette’ drug etomidate. Taiwan
K-Pods in Singapore: A Growing Threat to Public Health. Promises
