Singapore authorities alarmed over increased use of drug-laced vapes among youth

By Bobbie Ysabelle Matias

Singapore has recently been doubling down on its efforts to curb the increasing local presence of vapes laced with synthetic drugs and pharmaceutical products, as rising cases indicate a looming addiction crisis among the youth.

Infamously known by a variety of names, such as “Kpod”, “zombie vape” or “Space Oil”, these drug-laced vapes have juice pods often containing ketamine or etomidate, a medicinal ingredient commonly used as a clinical anaesthetic.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) first encountered such vapes in March 2024 when it handled a case of e-vaporisers containing ketamine and three cases of the device laced with etomidate.

In December last year, HSA and the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said they were monitoring the trend of using vapes to consume illegal substances, noting that cases where such devices were seized were “sporadic”.

Teens behaving like zombies after using Kpod

However, in April 2025, Singapore realised the immense danger these drug-laced vapes pose when a 13-year-old girl was seen behaving erratically while vaping in public outside the State Courts.

The teenager was “unsteady in gait and appeared to be oblivious of her surroundings; a sign of possible drug intoxication,” HSA said in its statement in May.

Upon identifying the girl, HSA raided her residence and seized a vape containing etomidate. 

The authorities later arrested a 25-year-old man who sold her the device.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), symptoms of etomidate overuse typically include intoxication-like effects, hand tremors, unsteadiness, anxiety, panic, sluggishness and mental confusion. 

Its use has also been linked to public safety accidents.

Upon medical examination, a person who has used etomidate-laced vapes may also show signs like seizures, coughing, arrhythmias and thermal injury to airways.

Videos have been circulating online of young people showing such erratic behaviors after allegedly using Kpods, with experts describing their actions as those of a “zombie”.

Marketing and selling vape products

Meanwhile, parents have spoken to the media about the effects of Kpods on their children, with one of them saying that his 19-year-old daughter’s death after falling from a height was due to her use of Kpod.

The UNODC attributed the popularity of vaping products – especially among the youth – to their accessibility, their attractive packaging and the view that it is a “cool and modern alternative to traditional cigarettes.”

Sellers of these drug-laced vapes on messaging platform Telegram claim that it is a safer and more convenient alternative to traditional drugs, while still promising a “good kick” without it being detected in urine tests.

Drug-laced vapes can be priced from SGD50 to SGD100 (US$39 to US$78), while normal ones cost between SGD10 (US$8) and SGD70 (US$54), according to a report by The Straits Times.

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Government eyeing stronger laws against vaping

In its report published in May, the UNODC stated that the emergence of etomidate in vaping liquids began in 2021 after China scheduled synthetic cannabinoids as a controlled drug.

Beijing eventually declared etomidate as a controlled drug in October 2023, but the inclusion of this substance in vaping products has already spread across East and Southeast Asia, including Singapore.

There are already 28 cases involving etomidate-laced vapes in Singapore during the first six months of 2025, an alarming increase from the 10 cases recorded in the entirety of 2024.

While vaping has been banned in Singapore since February 2018, the government has recently signalled a possible enhancement of the laws to address the problem of drug-laced vapes.

For now, in an effort to intensify the crackdown on drug-laced vaporisers, the Ministry of Health and HSA on July 9 issued a circular ordering public healthcare institutions to record and report all suspected and confirmed Kpod cases.

Medical practitioners were also instructed to confiscate the vapes and convince their patients to submit urine samples for testing.

However, the authorities assured that the patients will not be subjected to enforcement actions for previous vape use if they voluntarily seek medical help.

Currently, in Singapore, only ketamine is listed as a Class A controlled drug – making it illegal to traffic, make, import, export, possess or consume – while etomidate is classified as a poison under the Poisons Act, which means that a license is required for its importation or sale.

A person found in possession or revealed to be using etomidate-laced vape pods can be imprisoned for up to two years, fined up to SGD10,000, or both.

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