Police mull use of test paper to crack down on ‘space oil’ vaping

Hong Kong police chief said on Saturday that the force is mulling the use of test papers to test suspicious individuals on the streets whether they had used a newly emerging narcotic, known as “space oil”, for vaping.

The anesthetic etomidate, also known as space oil, is regulated as a Part 1 poison under the law and could only be prescribed by a doctor in Hong Kong. Possession of the controlled drug is punishable by up to two years in prison and a HK$100,000 fine.

Speaking at an event this morning, Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee said the police are hoping to find a testing strip that can be used during foot patrols on the streets.

Officers can test suspicious individuals on the spot should they be suspected of having used the narcotics.

The police have cracked down on 59 cases involving space oil in the first 10 months of this year, resulting in over 90 arrests.

Siu said in a recent drug storage facility raid, a significant amount of space oil was seized. Out of the 17 arrested individuals, 13 were students, raising concerns about the increasing trend of young people using the drug.

Apart from legislation, Siu said police are trying to invite rehabilitated drug abusers to share their experiences, highlighting the dangers of doing drugs. Medical professionals will also be invited to discuss the effects of space oil on the body.

Information will be distributed to schools in the future, advocating for broader societal education and awareness among young people, he added.