The Usual Place Podcast: Kpod vapes, zombie kids: Is it time to raise the alarm?
Kpods, a street term for drug-laced e-vaporisers, has been much-talked about this week,
with The Straits Times launching an anti-vape campaign on July 13.
Recently, videos of vape users taken by the public have been surfacing online – in particular, of younger people – turning into 'zombies' and behaving erratically after using etomidate-laced vapes.
Etomidate is an anaesthetic used in hospitals during medical procedures, and is classified as a poison under the Poisons Act, which strictly restricts its use to licensed medical professionals.
Some parents have shared their stories about how
their children have tried self-harm or attempted suicide while being high.
Through reports, commentaries and first-person accounts, ST, along with parents, readers and health professionals, have sounded the alarm on the dangerous nature of Kpods.
In this episode of The Usual Place Podcast, I chat with my colleague and seasoned crime reporter Zaihan Mohamed Yusof; Yio Chu Kang SMC MP Yip Hon Weng, who has raised multiple Parliamentary Questions on vaping over the past few years; and Narasimman Tivasiha Mani, the executive director of youth mental health charity Impart, who has encountered teens using Kpods.
We will discuss the access to Kpods, what attracts young people to use them, and how Singapore can step up enforcement and awareness.
Tune in at 12pm SGT/HKT to watch the livestream and take part in the discussion on our revamped YouTube channel.
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