DICING WITH DEATH

Organised crime groups pushing drug-laced vapes in Asia

- Andrew Wong

Over several weeks in 2025, a woman tried to get her 19-year-old son arrested over his addiction to drug-laced e-vaporisers, specifically Kpods.

The once-active teenager had become withdrawn since November 2024, when he started puffing Kpods, which are vapes laced with etomidate, a powerful anaesthetic.

He also started cutting his own face and arms with a knife.

"We saw many videos of people on TikTok saying Kpods can make a person suicidal, so we tried to stop him," Susan (not her real name) told The Sunday Times, adding that her husband decided to install security cameras at home.

They saw him on video stumbling out of his room. He was struggling to walk.

"I spoke to him the next day to ask him what happened, and he said he had injured his legs while lion-dancing, so I did not suspect too much," she said.

Over the next few days, they noticed their son would change between five and 10 pairs of shorts throughout the night.

Susan suspected he had lost the ability to control his bladder whenever he was high on etomidate, which various reports said can also result in hand tremors, unsteadiness, sluggishness and mental confusion.

Desperate to get him help, she reached out to the authorities and told them her son was using Kpods.

Currently, those found guilty of consumption of a controlled drug can be jailed for up to 10 years, fined up to $20,000, or both.

She was told etomidate is not a Class A controlled drug. At most, her son would be slapped with a fine for using a vape. She showed ST a phone log of calls she made to different agencies.

In Singapore, etomidate is governed by the Poisons Act. A licence is required for its importation or sale.

Those found in possession or found using pods containing etomidate can be jailed for up to two years, fined up to $10,000, or both.

LOOMING CRISIS