PDEA warns public vs etomidate-laced vaping products
The PDEA warned the public against vaping products laced with etomidate, a medical anesthetic, citing serious health risks.Summary
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) issued an advisory warning the public against the misuse of etomidate, a short-acting intravenous anesthetic used in hospitals for general anesthesia, which has been detected in seized vaping products. PDEA noted that using etomidate without medical supervision can cause rapid sedation, hypnosis, loss of consciousness, involuntary muscle movements, and potentially dangerous respiratory and cardiovascular effects. The drug has also been found in tablets, powders, and crystals. PDEA Director General Undersecretary Isagani Nerez stressed that etomidate is a powerful medical drug, not a recreational substance, and warned that putting it into vape products creates serious and unpredictable risks, especially for young people. Illicit etomidate-containing vaping products have been marketed under street names such as "space oil," "zombie vapes," and "Kpods." Several territories in the region, including Singapore, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, have implemented control measures in response to the non-medical use of etomidate. Nerez urged the public not to experiment with or share suspicious vaping products, and PDEA advised anyone who develops unusual or severe symptoms after using an unidentified or suspected drug-containing vaping product to seek immediate medical attention.
(Source：Gma News Online)
