'Space oil' vaping trade persists despite crackdown

Ayra Wang

Drug dealers continue to sell "space oil" - a new substance popular among teenagers - on social media, but are getting more cautious after being targeted by police, a Sing Tao probe has found.

The main component of space oil is etomidate, a drug used for anesthesia and sedation which can only be obtained with a doctor's prescription.

The drug is increasingly popular among teenagers and on platforms such as Facebook and Telegram, where they are being purchased.

Space oil is mainly packaged in e-cigarette capsules with different flavors, costing as low as HK$200 per capsule, according to the Sing Tao report.

However, sellers are becoming more wary of new customers in the face of an ongoing police crackdown. Only one seller had agreed to meet the undercover reporter at a shopping mall in Kowloon Bay.

The seller, roughly 15 years old, claimed the space oil he provided came from Cambodia and was "without impurities."

The seller said that after consuming it, "you will feel dizzy, drowsy and have slurred speech," describing the effectiveness of the drug as "very good."

However, he immediately ran away upon discovering the reporter's camera.

Action Committee Against Narcotics earlier announced that the number of drug addicts aged below 21 surged to 452 in the first half of the year, compared to 394 in the same period in 2023.

Among them, 75 were addicted to space oil, third highest in the list of substances involved.

A social worker also said that a 13-year-old girl was gang-raped by three boys of similar age after allegedly consuming space oil.

The government aims to bring etomidate under the control of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance in the first half of 2025, as announced in the latest policy address.

Medical sector legislator David Lam Tzit-yuen said the timetable for the legislative process is still unclear and urged the government to legislate etomidate as a dangerous drug as soon as possible.

"Space oil is often used with e-cigarettes, which is difficult for people to distinguish, posing a huge challenge to public health," Lam said.

He expects the legislative process to be finished as soon as the first quarter of next year if the government submits the amendment order to the Legislative Council this month and adopts the negative vetting procedure.

So Yiu-wah, president of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Hong Kong, said yesterday that long-term etomidate use could be fatal and called on teenagers not to consume the drug out of curiosity.

"The drug will inhibit the secretion of cortisol in humans and lower the content of potassium in blood, which will make people prone to fatigue and weakness in the lower limbs," So said.

He cited research findings showing that low cortisol will make children aged between seven and 12 prone to aggression as well as affect their brain development and social life.

He added that the damage etomidate causes to the body is irreversible and may lead to death in severe cases. He called for stricter laws banning the illegal use of the drug.

ayra.wang@singtaonewscorp.com