Thai lab detects first methamphetamine-etomidate vape mix
Thailand's Department of Medical Sciences has detected methamphetamine and etomidate mixed in a single seized vape pod for the first time.Summary
Thailand's Department of Medical Sciences has issued a warning to e-cigarette users after laboratory tests detected both methamphetamine hydrochloride and etomidate in the same seized vape pod for the first time. According to Dr Sarawut Boonsuk, the department's director-general, the Bureau of Drug and Narcotic received the pod cartridge for examination, and tests found methamphetamine hydrochloride at 3.56% along with etomidate, which is classified as a Category 2 psychotropic substance in Thailand. The combination of these two substances significantly increases health risks, as etomidate suppresses breathing and brain function, potentially causing loss of consciousness, while methamphetamine stimulates the nervous system and increases cardiac workload, potentially leading to abnormal heart rhythm and acute heart failure. Etomidate, an anaesthetic normally used in hospitals, has been illicitly added to vape liquids known as "K-pods" or "zombie e-cigarettes". Thailand's Food and Drug Administration reclassified etomidate from a specially controlled medicine to a Category 2 psychotropic substance effective July 27, 2025, in response to evidence of its misuse in e-cigarettes. The department warned that inhaling liquid containing both substances could cause severe symptoms and potentially sudden death.
(Source：Nation Thailand)
