ST Explains: What does it mean for etomidate to be listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act?
SINGAPORE – 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 MDA, and what are the penalties for the trafficking, possession and consumption of these? The Straits Times explains.
1. 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/or a prison term of two years.
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2. 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 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 it, 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 it.
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.
3. 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 which 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 pipadrol, 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:
a. Stiffer penalties
The MDA imposes a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $20,000 for possession or use of controlled drugs. It also demands 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.
For traffickers of controlled drugs, the MDA imposes even harsher penalties. Under the Poisons Act, the maximum penalty for trafficking controlled poisons is the same as that for possession or use: two years' prison term, a fine of $10,000, or both. In contrast, trafficking a Class C drug under the MDA will carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and five strokes of the cane.
b. 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.
4. How have agencies stepped up efforts recently?
Mr Ong said on July 20 that various agencies – the National Parks Board, National Environment Agency, police, Health Sciences Authority 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... 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 –
www.go.gov.sg/reportvape
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