As prohibitionist policies tighten, drug users find loopholes to keep using, often at the expense of their own health. There even seems to be a direct relationship: the stricter the state control, the more dangerous the alternative substances developed to circumvent the law. Because there’s no shortage of opportunists who, in the absence of efficient state apparatuses, launch all kinds of unsafe drugs onto the illegal market.
Currently, such a situation is unfolding in Asia, where more and more countries are finding cases of etomidate use, grimly nicknamed “zombie juice.” In recent years, this highly addictive compound has begun appearing in e-liquids for vaping in China, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, Macau, Indonesia, and Malaysia, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and is also spreading to other continents. Other sources also claim that etomidate use is becoming a public health issue in Japan.
Despite attempts by authorities to prohibit and curb this drug, its use continues to increase, as do deaths attributed to it. So, what’s going on?
What is etomidate?
Etomidate is a fast-acting intravenous anesthetic used in clinical settings. While it is used to induce general anesthesia by suppressing central nervous system activity, its exact mechanisms aren’t fully understood. Its side effects include pain, nausea, hallucinations, amnesia, disorientation, numbness of the extremities, and adrenal dysfunction. It is also a highly addictive substance when administered without professional supervision. According to a 2024 study, chronic etomidate overdose can cause irreversible brain damage, mental disorders, behavioral issues, and even death.
It’s especially the loss of motor control and seizures that earned etomidate the nickname “zombie juice.” Tremors, memory loss, fainting, and deaths have also been observed in recreational users.
Today, its use has transcended medicine: actors in the illegal drug market are mixing etomidate into …
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Author: Marian Venini / High Times
