Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Drug abuse and drug situation in Hong Kong in first three quarters of 2025
The ACAN Chairman, Dr Donald Li, said “Statistics show that the illegal use of etomidate among youngsters remains serious. I would like to again remind everyone that etomidate is a dangerous drug. In fact, youngsters who tried etomidate out of curiosity often wrongly believed at the beginning that vaping etomidate once or twice by e-cigarette was not a big deal, yet they quickly found themselves addicted to it and vaped more and more. Apart from addiction, etomidate also has many other harmful effects. In various recent cases, there were youngsters who lost their minds after vaping etomidate. Vaping etomidate also causes skin ulcers, myoclonic jerks, hormonal balance disruption as well as facial hair growth and deepened voices in women, seriously affecting health and appearance.”
Dr Li also reminds the public that etomidate and all its analogues are dangerous drugs. Under the strict control of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (DDO) (Cap. 134), trafficking and manufacturing of these substances are liable to a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of $5 million. Possession and consumption of these substances will be subject to a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment and a fine of $1 million. The public should never try etomidate out of curiosity. It will cost one’s health and career. Taking this opportunity, Dr Li urges etomidate abusers to stop vaping it immediately and proactively seek help and undergo drug treatments.
A spokesperson for the Narcotics Division (ND) of the Security Bureau said, “The ND is highly concerned about the abuse of etomidate. We have been actively carrying out education and publicity initiatives targeting etomidate to enhance the capability to resist this drug among the public. The Government has taken a ‘down-to-earth’ approach in recent years, making use of online media in anti-drug publicity campaigns. For instance, a series of social media posts under a Halloween theme were rolled out earlier to alert the public that they must not defy the laws and abuse drugs during festivals. Apart from that, as part of the fervour for sports brought about by the 15th National Games, table tennis athlete Wong Chun-ting and Wushu athlete Juanita Mok were invited to take anti-drug challenges (www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUqEz2-eX08
On the enforcement front, the Government will continue to spare no effort to combat etomidate-related crimes. The Police have set up a 24-hour etomidate reporting hotline (number: 6629 2966). Members of the public can also file reports via the instant messaging applications WhatsApp (number: 6629 2966) or WeChat (account: eto-report).
The ND reminds youngsters to remain vigilant against drugs when attending gatherings or travelling abroad during the long holidays in winter. Never try drugs out of curiosity, never take part in drug trafficking activities out of greed, and never join free trips to transport dangerous drugs across borders as “drug mules”. Otherwise, there will be lifelong regrets. Young age is not a valid mitigating factor. Anyone who commits a drug offence is liable for serious criminal punishment. The maximum penalty for drug trafficking is life imprisonment and a fine of $5 million.Issued at HKT 15:12
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