Rise of drug-laced ‘zombie’ vapes which ‘could be spreading to UK’

New drug-laced vapes flagged as a ‘significant’ concern by the UK’s expert body on substance abuse are spreading internationally.

Vape liquids containing etomidate, a sedative used to induce anaesthesia in some countries, have reportedly emerged as a popular recreational drug in several Asian countries and New Zealand.

Sought for its dissociative-like effects, the drug can quickly cause tremors, seizures and loss of consciousness, while studies found repeated use can permanently damage the body’s hormone system.

In Japan, where the vapes are dubbed ‘zombie cigarettes’, local reports describe users – mostly in their teens and twenties – ‘going into convulsions, crying out in strange voices’ in public places.

In other countries they are referred to as ‘space oil’ or ‘k-pods’, short for ‘