E-cigarettes, being rich in a "sense of technology," have won the favor of many young people. However, some lawbreakers have also set their sights on e-cigarettes, adding drugs to them and poisoning young people with "spiked e-cigarettes." Etomidate is one of them.

　　Recently, police in Chongyang County, Hubei Province, busted a cross-provincial etomidate transport and trafficking gang, seized more than 380 e-cigarette pods containing etomidate, and criminally detained 7 suspects.

　　What is etomidate? What harms does its abuse cause to the human body? How should we prevent etomidate e-cigarettes from reaching young people? Our reporter launched an investigation into this.

　　Listed in the Catalogue of Class II Psychotropic Substances

　　According to police, etomidate is a white powdery substance insoluble in water. It is a short-acting, non-barbiturate intravenous general anesthetic prescription drug, mainly used clinically for induction of general anesthesia and also for short-duration surgical anesthesia.

　　In recent years, etomidate abuse has emerged in some places, with lawbreakers adding it to e-cigarettes and selling them to young people. Against this backdrop, the National Medical Products Administration, the Ministry of Public Security, and the National Health Commission jointly issued the Announcement on Adjusting the Catalogue of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (No. 120 of 2023), listing etomidate in the Catalogue of Class II Psychotropic Substances, effective from October 1, 2023.

　　However, the momentum of manufacturing and selling etomidate e-cigarettes does not seem to have weakened.

　　Recently, officers of the Narcotics Division of the Chongyang County Public Security Bureau discovered during their work that someone in their jurisdiction was conducting etomidate transactions. After grasping this situation, officers of the division carried out strict deployment and stakeouts at locations where the suspects might meet, successfully arrested suspects Du and Wang, and seized more than 30 e-cigarette pods containing etomidate at the scene.

　　According to the two suspects' statements, they had purchased etomidate from their suppliers Shi and Li and planned to resell it to individual buyers. Based on this clue, the officers had Du and Wang contact their suppliers Shi and Li to conduct a transaction, preparing to arrest the two.

　　"At that time, Li was preparing to flee with the drugs and drug money. During the arrest, the small bag on his body was torn open, and the cash and e-cigarette pods inside scattered all over the ground. After counting, there was a total of more than 70,000 yuan in cash and more than 350 e-cigarette pods containing etomidate," said Officer Li, a case-handling officer of the Narcotics Division of the Chongyang County Public Security Bureau.

　　Subsequently, after analysis and assessment, the police uncovered a criminal gang that manufactured and sold etomidate, and successively traveled to Yichun City in Jiangxi Province and Daqing City in Heilongjiang Province to carry out arrest operations. Suspects Liu A, Liu B, and Qin were all apprehended.

　　Thus, a drug trafficking and transport case spanning three provinces was solved.

　　Catering to Young People in Many Ways, with an Obvious "Social Attribute"

　　Officer Li, who has worked on the front line of anti-drug work for many years, told a reporter from China Youth Daily · China Youth Network that compared with heroin and methamphetamine, etomidate has less severe withdrawal reactions and lower addictiveness. Those selling etomidate are also young people. Before it was scheduled, they would tell buyers that it was similar to ordinary e-cigarettes and not a drug, and that "trying it out and giving it a go brings a different experience." Some young people could not resist the temptation and bought it. "In their minds, this unfamiliar term they had never heard of had nothing to do with drugs."

　　The reporter interviewed several young people who had vaped etomidate e-cigarettes. They all said that after vaping etomidate they felt very "high," a bit dizzy and unsteady on their feet, just like being drunk.

　　Lawbreaker Li, 22 this year, is a livestreamer. Some time ago, he was administratively detained for 10 days by Wuhan police for drug use. The drug Li used was etomidate.

　　Li said he usually also vapes e-cigarettes. That day he was playing mahjong at home with some friends and had lost a lot of money, which made him very upset.

　　"My friends who won money started vaping. The more they vaped, the more excited they became, and even their voices grew much louder. In that environment, I also asked them for one and started vaping," Li said. He said it was not his first time vaping etomidate; he had vaped it before with friends at KTVs and chess and card rooms. "We are all young people around 20 with no jobs, and after hanging out we would vape."

　　In Li's view, the "social attribute" of etomidate e-cigarettes is very obvious. "Previously we did not regard etomidate as a drug, and I did not know it was a drug. I only knew it got you high, and we would pass it around to each other. Just like when people smoke, if I smoke, I will also ask whether you want one," Li said.

　　Lawbreaker Tian, 24 this year, is a salesperson and was previously also administratively detained for 10 days by Wuhan police for vaping etomidate.

　　According to Tian's recollection, at that time he and some friends had returned to a rented apartment from a KTV. "Everyone was very high. One friend sitting on the sofa took out a pod and said it was a new type of e-cigarette and had us take turns vaping it. The taste was very strong, different from what I had vaped before." Tian told the reporter that only after being arrested by the police did he learn that he had actually used the new drug etomidate.

　　The way etomidate e-cigarettes are used is favored by some young "addicts." "I used to snort ketamine, using a straw to inhale the ketamine into my nose. Although it felt good, my nose really suffered. Vaping etomidate is different, it is similar to vaping an e-cigarette, with no extra discomfort," another lawbreaker surnamed Ding who had vaped etomidate e-cigarettes told the reporter.

　　Compared with other drugs, the price and rich flavors of e-cigarettes containing etomidate also attract young people. "Before it was scheduled, one pod cost about 200 yuan and could last two days. Compared with other drugs, that was already very cheap. Now that it is scheduled, the price is about 700 yuan," Li said.

　　Li had previously also been administratively detained by Wuhan police for using methamphetamine. "Methamphetamine has only one flavor, but etomidate e-cigarettes come in fruit and mint flavors, and the etomidate content can be chosen by yourself. More makes the effect stronger, and less makes it milder," she said.

　　The Harms of Etomidate Should Not Be Underestimated

　　Since it has been scheduled as a drug, it shows that the harms of abusing etomidate should not be underestimated. Clinical observations have found that after vaping etomidate, besides a state similar to drunkenness, allergic reactions may also be triggered, manifesting as immediate reddening of the skin. Large-dose use can cause paranoia, anxiety, panic, delusions of persecution, and other psychiatric disorders that affect mood, thinking, and volitional behavior, such as irritability and laziness in daily life.

　　A relevant person in charge of the Narcotics Detachment of the Wuhan Public Security Bureau introduced that excessive use of etomidate can also easily lead to mental confusion and even death. This person in charge shared a typical case with the reporter:

　　Wei (female, 13 years old) was suspected of falling into a coma in a rented apartment of Hua due to a sudden illness and died after rescue efforts failed. Investigation showed that at noon the day before Wei's death, Hua mixed 3 portions of smoke powder (the usual amount used was 1 portion) into e-liquid and gave it to Wei and Yang to vape. Afterwards, Wei and Yang each also smoked a cigarette filled with smoke powder. Soon after, Hua found that Wei's complexion was poor, her hands and feet were stiff and unnatural, and her spirit was dull. She then fell into a coma with pale lips, and Hua called 120 and 110. Forensic identification determined that after vaping etomidate, Wei died of respiratory failure caused by aggravated bronchopneumonia.

　　In addition to causing certain harm to the body, vaping etomidate has been defined as an illegal act. The legal consequences are the same as those for using other drugs, including administrative detention, community drug rehabilitation, compulsory isolated drug rehabilitation, and other penalties.

　　Taking community drug rehabilitation as an example, according to relevant provisions of the Anti-Drug Law of the People's Republic of China, urban subdistrict offices and township people's governments may designate relevant grassroots organizations to sign community drug rehabilitation agreements with drug users based on the circumstances of the drug users themselves and their families, and implement targeted community drug rehabilitation measures. The duration of community drug rehabilitation is three years. During community drug rehabilitation, the lawbreaker needs to regularly go to the community for hair testing to rule out suspicion of drug use again.

　　In the view of the relevant person in charge of the Narcotics Detachment of the Wuhan Public Security Bureau, preventing etomidate e-cigarettes from reaching young people requires the joint efforts of all parties. First, seize the opportunity of etomidate being scheduled, carefully analyze the characteristics of the population transporting and trafficking etomidate, and use information-based means to crack down on the entire chain of illegal and criminal acts of using and selling etomidate. Second, raise public awareness of the harms of etomidate e-cigarettes. Through publicity and education, let young people understand the serious consequences of using them, which not only cause certain harm to the body but also carry certain legal consequences, so that they consciously resist them. Finally, encourage all sectors of society to participate in supervision and form a good atmosphere of joint participation by the whole society.

　　"In short, preventing etomidate e-cigarettes from reaching young people requires the joint efforts of the government, all sectors of society, schools, families, and others to jointly create a healthy and safe social environment. Although some young people are not yet very familiar with etomidate, as long as everyone equates etomidate with methamphetamine, ketamine, and other drugs in their minds, it can help young people resist temptation," the person in charge said.