Teens at Risk: Space Oil Etomidate Drug in Hong Kong

There's a serious new drug alert that parents in Hong Kong need to know about. The substance putting youth at risk is called space oil etomidate. However, some people call it the "zombie" drug due to its strong sedative and euphoric effects. Space oil is commonly smoked through e-cigarettes or vape pens to deliver an instant high. It's grown in popularity recently due to its low cost and convenience. However, teens being introduced to space oil are often unaware of its extreme risks and side effects.  

What Is Etomidate Space Oil?

Etomidate has legitimate medical uses. In hospitals and clinics, it's used as a short-acting intravenous anesthetic agent for short procedures. While widely used legally by healthcare professionals in places like the United States and Europe since the 1980s, etomidate has recently become a widely purchased street drug in Hong Kong. Most parents are completely unaware of the existence of etomidate. 

Use in recent years has skyrocketed to the point that etomidate is now Hong Kong's third most popular drug among people aged 21 and under. In 2025, it was placed on the official Dangerous Drug Ordinance. Drugs like ketamine and cocaine are currently in the same etomidate drug class.

How Are Teens Getting Space Oil in Hong Kong? 

Information is still emerging on the supply chain of space oil in Hong Kong and places in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. However, e-liquids containing etomidate are being discovered in illicit drug markets. Distributor networks behind the influx of space oil in Hong Kong are believed to be working out of places like Singapore and Thailand. 

While the original theory was that supplies were being siphoned from legal batches of etomidate, evidence now indicates that counterfeit etomidate is being illegally produced. In 2024, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board in Thailand seized 2,200 liters and 250 kilograms of chemicals and equipment in a warehouse in Bangkok that was linked with etomidate production.

How is illegal etomidate that's being produced getting into the hands of teenagers? Sellers are using social media to promote the drug's affordability and accessibility. Through social media and popular messaging apps, sellers are targeting youth looking for ways to buy small amounts one at a time. This has helped to make etomidate so popular among cash-strapped teens.

What Are the Effects of Etomidate?

With one hit of an etomidate vape pen, a user experiences euphoric feelings. Some people also experience intense feelings of calmness or detachment. However, it can also cause loss of consciousness, blackouts, tremors, memory loss, seizures, and death. More than 120 people who were suspected of abusing space oil were treated in Hong Kong hospitals in 2024 alone—with a quarter of the cases involving people under age 18.

Mixing space oil with other substances like depressants or alcohol dramatically increases risks for etomidate side effects and overdose-related death. Space oil's potent depressant effects can suppress the nervous system by slowing breathing and heart rate to fatal levels.

Who Is a Risk for Etomidate Abuse?

People aged 21 and under in Hong Kong are at the highest risk for etomidate abuse. Factors like peer pressure and access to social media and apps can also increase a person's risk. Detecting etomidate use can be especially difficult for parents because most users simply use an etomidate vape pen that appears like a legal vape. Here are some risk categories for etomidate abuse among Hong Kong's youth:

• Having a reason to want to escape: The dissociative properties of etomidate make it an especially attractive option for teens and young adults seeking an escape from life. They may be seeking a way to get relief from pressures related to school, work, or their personal lives.
• Being a first-time drug user: Etomidate's low cost and easy access make it a popular choice among first-time drug users who may not have the funds or connections to try more sophisticated drugs. Etomidate sellers are targeting Hong Kong's cash-strapped youth by offering low-priced "small" doses. However, they are counting on the fact that users will become addicted enough to return time after time to purchase more etomidate.
• Teens and young adults who already vape: People who already vape regularly may be offered etomidate to try from friends or peers. In some cases, they may be unaware that the enhanced vape they're being offered contains a powerful and illegal substance that is putting their life at risk.
• Anyone on social media: Having access to social media, messaging apps, and digital payment apps dramatically increases the likelihood of a teen or young adult being able to access etomidate.
• Teens with mental health issues: Etomidate can seem like a quick, easy way to self-medicate for teens and young adults struggling with mental health issues. This includes teens with issues like ADHD, bipolar disorder, behavioral struggles, depression, anxiety, or social isolation.
• Existing drug-use behaviors: Teens or young adults experimenting with other drugs are likely to be offered etomidate at some point as the drug's popularity on Hong Kong's drug scene continues to rise. Risks for overdose are especially high for these users because they may be layering different drugs without understanding the dramatic effect this can have on the nervous system.

How do Parents Know if Their Children Are Abusing Etomidate?  

• Weird smells, such as a fruity or plastic burning smell. 
• Electronic cigarettes or cartridges (may be used as a smoking device or cover-up)
• Withdrawal symptoms, such as mood swings or irritability
• Unexplained bruising on the body
• Secretive behaviour 
• Increased or unexplained spending 
• Suspicious messages or deliveries

What to Do if You Believe Your Child Is Using Etomidate 

Children who use space oil etomidate may have underlying mental health issues contributing to use. However, most won’t realize this without professional help. In my experience, children will not directly say that they want help with vaping space oil. Instead, they may complain about problems in other areas of their lives, such as school, work, or with friends or peers. 

Children and teens may be open to seeing a mental health professional for treatment if parents bring it up in a non-judgmental way. While the hope is that your child will readily and quickly agree to treatment, don’t despair if they first say no or need more time to think about it. There will be opportunities to raise the subject again. Managing your expectations around them engaging with and staying in treatment is a part of good self-care.

What Everyone Needs to Know About the Rise of Etomidate in Hong Kong

Etomidate is a deadly phenomenon that is putting the well-being and lives of Hong Kong's youth at risk. If use is suspected, it's important to seek intervention right away to prevent etomidate use and abuse. The public needs to be aware that ordinary vape pens may contain this harmful and illegal substance. Like all harmful drugs, etomidate is something that must be addressed with a thoughtful, caring approach for the person struggling with abuse or dependence.

Dr Jenifer Chan

Psychiatry

• MBBS(Lond)
• MRCPsych(UK)

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References

1. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, (2025) Orders to amend Dangerous Drugs Ordinance and Control of Chemicals Ordinance to be gazetted on February 14 and etomidate to become dangerous drug on same date. Retrieved  11 November 2025 from https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202502/12/P2025021100159.htm
2. Wong, I. N. K., Chan, C. K., & Tse, M. L. (2025). Spread of “space oil drug” (etomidate) abuse in Hong Kong and consequent emergency department presentations. Hong Kong Medical Journal, 31(2), 173–174. https://doi.org/10.12809/hkmj2412728
3. Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, (2024) Drug abuse and drug situation in Hong Kong in first half of 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2025 from https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202409/20/P2024092000530.htm 
4. Student Health Service, (2025). Is my child taking drugs? How to tell if my child is vaping etomidate. Retrieved from 11 November 2025 from https://www.studenthealth.gov.hk/english/emotional_health_tips/files/infographic_how_to_tell_if_my_child_is_vaping_etomidate.pdf
5. Get Smart About Drugs, (2021). How to Encourage Your Child to Get Help for Their Substance Use or Addiction. Retrieved from 11 November 2025 from https://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/family/how-encourage-your-child-get-help-their-substance-use-or-addiction