A night out in Okinawa ended in an ambulance ride for one young woman, her body unresponsive after a single puff from an e-cigarette.
She had joined a growing cohort of Japanese youth being ensnared by “zombie juice”: a potent sedative sweeping Asia’s party scene that is now causing alarm in Japan .
Etomidate, a drug once reserved for use in operating theatres, has increasingly found its way into the hands of young club-goers, smuggled in by criminal syndicates and inhaled through flavoured e-cigarettes.
Its metamorphosis from medical anaesthetic to illicit party drug has been well documented. Called “ space oil ” in mainland China and Hong Kong – and “Kpods ” in Singapore – etomidate has quietly infiltrated Asia’s nightlife, its effects amplified when vaped, sometimes in combination with cannabis, ketamine or other illicit substances.
In response to its rising use in Japan, the Health Ministry issued a sweeping new ordinance that outlawed etomidate’s manufacture, import, sale, possession and use, effective May 26.