What does it mean for etomidate to be listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act?: ST Explains

Etomidate, which is increasingly being abused through e-vaporisers, will be reclassified under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA).

Offences under the Act carry heavier sentencing and mandatory rehabilitation.

Announcing this on July 20, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said it was now necessary to take stronger action, with the growing trend of e-vaporisers or vapes containing the drug.

Kpods, which are vape juice mixed with etomidate, have been touted by online sellers to be undetectable by urine tests.

What other drugs fall under the MDA, and what are the penalties for the trafficking, possession and consumption of these? The Straits Times explains.

What is etomidate?

Etomidate is an anaesthetic agent used in clinical practice to induce sedation. It is currently controlled under the Poisons Act, which restricts its use to licensed medical professionals.

Under the Poisons Act, those caught possessing, using or trafficking pods containing etomidate face a maximum fine of $10,000 and a prison term of two years.

Why is there a need to reclassify etomidate?

Vapes, often used to deliver nicotine, are banned in Singapore under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act. Besides nicotine, vapes have been found to contain even more harmful substances such as etomidate and ketamine. 

Mr Ong said that in a recent seizure of over 100 vapes, a third were found to contain etomidate. 

Etomidate is meant to be administrated intravenously under strict medical supervision. Inhaling etomidate into the lungs through vapes can cause failure of vital organs. It can also induce confusion, tremors and unsteady gait, leading to falls and accidents.

Accounts have surfaced of Kpods triggering erratic, violent and zombie-like behaviour in users. Like other substance addictions, etomidate can alienate the addict from loved ones. Readers have recounted their experiences of etomidate-laced vapes destroying their marriage and straining relationships with their children.

Many have called for harsher penalties for those trafficking Kpods, and for better coordination among agencies to help children curb their addiction rather than hand them fines. This would include ordering mandatory treatment for addicts and those caught using the vapes.

Professor Teo Yik Ying, dean of the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, for one, had proposed that current laws keep up with the technology – e-cigarettes and vapes – used to deliver synthetic drugs.

“If I am a police officer and I catch someone with a vape, and I detect that the vape cartridge is actually a Kpod... the person is not just caught for vaping, but also caught for possession of narcotics,” he said.

Former Jurong GRC MP Tan Wu Meng, who had previously brought up the vaping issue in Parliament, said the scourge is concerning as Kpods could be a gateway for users to try harder drugs.

What does listing etomidate under the Misuse of Drugs Act mean?

There are plans to reclassify etomidate as a Class C drug under the MDA. It will share this category with other substances that have lower potential for harm than Class A and Class B drugs, but are still dangerous enough to warrant strict control. 

Stimulants like mephentermine and pipradrol, and the hypnotic drug Erimin-5 (nimetazepam), are examples of Class C drugs. These substances may have legitimate medical uses, but are harmful when used in an unregulated manner.

Here is what listing etomidate as a Class C drug would entail: 

Stiffer penalties

Under the MDA, illegal possession and use of a Class C drug carry a maximum sentence of 10 years’ jail and a $20,000 fine. Those who traffic such drugs may be jailed for up to 10 years and given five strokes of the cane.

This is compared with the maximum penalty of two years’ jail and a $10,000 fine under the Poisons Act.

The MDA also provides for supervision and mandatory rehabilitation for drug addicts. The addict must remain at a rehabilitation centre for 12 months unless he or she is discharged earlier. 

Whole-of-government effort in enforcement against etomidate-laced vapes

The classification of etomidate as a Class C drug is a recognition of the scale of the vape problem here. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has seen an increase in reports on vaping-related offences, from more than 3,000 reports in 2024 to more than 2,500 reports in the first half of 2025.

How have agencies stepped up efforts recently?

Mr Ong said on July 20 that various agencies – the National Parks Board, National Environment Agency, police, HSA and Land Transport Authority – are already coordinating enforcement against the consumption of e-vaporisers. When seized by agencies, the vapes first go to the Ministry of Health for testing.

“If it is just nicotine, we will process and fine them (those involved)... In the most serious cases involving drugs, the Central Narcotics Bureau will have to come in, so it will have to be a concerted effort,” said Mr Ong.

From July 21, the HSA has also extended the operating hours for its hotline to report vaping-related offences. The hotline now operates from 9am to 9pm daily, including on public holidays. Previously, it operated only on weekdays, from 9am to 5.30pm.

The HSA has also launched a new online portal to report vaping-related offences at  www.go.gov.sg/reportvape

If you need help to quit vaping, you can join the Health Promotion Board’s I Quit programme by calling the QuitLine on 1800-438-2000.

Participants need not worry about being prosecuted, as it does not presume they use or have used vaping products.

But those caught using or possessing such items will be prosecuted.

If you have a story to share about vapes, e-mail us at [email protected]

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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