Trendy or toxic? This is how Kpods are wrecking numerous lives in Singapore

In recent months, Singaporeans have been confronted with a string of disturbing incidents linked to a new, insidious substance.

A teenager was seen stumbling across an overhead bridge in Bishan, convulsing and lashing out before being hospitalised. A 27-year-old man turned violent towards his mother after she confronted him over his addiction. Another youth began self-harming and lost control of his bodily functions, while his mother struggled to get him the help he needed.

They mark the visible surface of a deeper, fast-moving crisis: the rise of Kpods.

The chemistry of Kpods

Kpods are vape pods laced with the anaesthetic etomidate, ketamine, or a cocktail of substances. They are rapidly emerging as one of the most alarming public health concerns in the region. Cheap, easily concealed, and marketed to resemble everyday e-vaporisers, they promise a quick escape from reality, but leave behind addiction, psychosis and, in some cases, death.

Clinically, etomidate is a legitimate anaesthetic agent, used in hospitals to induce unconsciousness for surgery or emergency intubation. However, when inhaled through vapes, it becomes wildly unpredictable.

“Etomidate was never meant to be delivered this way,” says Dr Alvin Ng, respiratory physician at Parkway East Hospital. “Unregulated vape devices can release it in varying dosages, interacting with other chemicals and causing accidental overdose. The effects include hallucinations, seizures, dissociation, and even coma.”

Users often appear unsteady, disoriented, and detached from reality, hence Kpods’ moniker “Zombie Oil”. Long-term misuse may lead to brain damage or adrenal insufficiency, conditions that affect blood pressure and energy regulation.

“Etomidate is highly addictive,” adds Dr Ng. “Withdrawal can manifest as severe anxiety or agitation, making it extremely difficult to quit without professional help.”

Trouble beyond borders

Singapore’s Kpods problem is not home-grown, but part of a wider regional shift. According to a report by The Straits Times, organised crime groups across East and South-east Asia are lacing vapes with etomidate and other synthetic drugs, exploiting the popularity of vaping to expand their markets.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has warned of a “looming crisis”, with criminal syndicates constantly tweaking chemical formulas to evade regulation. In Malaysia, 65.6 per cent of seized vape liquids in 2023 to 2024 were found to contain dangerous drugs, while Hong Kong hospitals treated over 130 suspected “space oil” (or etomidate) users in 2024, including three deaths.

Singapore is directly in the path of this trade. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) seized $41 million worth of vapes between January 2024 and March 2025, nearly five times the total value confiscated from 2019 to 2023. By mid-2025, one in three vapes seized locally tested positive for etomidate.

What keeps them hooked

Part of the Kpods crisis lies in how cleverly the product is marketed. With fruity flavours and sleek packaging, they look more like lifestyle accessories than lethal drugs.

“The adolescence period is already associated with impulsivity and risk-taking,” says Dawn Chia, clinical psychologist at Annabelle Psychology. “Youths who feel lonely or rejected are particularly vulnerable. For some, Kpods provide temporary relief from sadness, anxiety or low self-esteem.”

Once hooked, the spiral is swift.

“Users continue despite harm because the substances give immediate, albeit fleeting, relief,” she explains. “Withdrawal brings mood swings, insomnia and anxiety, pushing them back to use. Without professional support, relapse is almost inevitable.”

She warns that the desensitisation among young people is striking.

“With bright packaging and social media marketing, Kpods appear safe – even trendy. Many think they’re ‘just vaping nicotine’, and don’t realise that they’re inhaling poisons.”

Public health issues

The consequences extend beyond individual users. One report by The Straits Times revealed that etomidate use has already been linked to traffic accidents and deaths in Singapore. CNA reported that more than 2,600 students were referred to HSA for vaping between January 2024 and March 2025, with 1,800 of them receiving counselling. Doctors are alarmed by the potential for long-term damage.

“Teenagers’ lungs and brains are still developing,” says Professor Puah Ser Hon, head and senior consultant of Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Speaking to The Straits Times, he adds that chemicals in vapes can stunt growth and cause irreversible conditions such as bronchiolitis obliterans, or “popcorn lung”.

A nation responds

Singapore is tightening its grip on the Kpods crisis. On July 20, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced that etomidate would be listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act, placing it in the same legal category as substances like Erimin-5. Abusers could face mandatory rehabilitation, while traffickers would be treated as serious offenders.

In his National Day Rally speech on Aug 17, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong drew a clear line – vaping, once treated as a tobacco issue, would now be tackled as a drug threat. Possessing or selling vapes laced with substances like etomidate would no longer result in just a fine. Stiffer penalties, including jail time, will be imposed on sellers, and rehabilitation and supervision will be made available for users struggling with addiction.

“Many of these vapes are laced with addictive and harmful substances,” PM Wong warned. “The real danger is what is inside. Right now, it’s etomidate. In future, it could be something worse.”

The government has committed to a whole-of-government response, with stepped-up enforcement, public education – starting in schools and national service – and international collaboration already underway. Authorities have removed more than 6,800 online vape listings between January 2024 and March 2025, doubling from the previous year. New “Bin the Vape” stations at 23 community clubs now allow users to dispose of their devices discreetly and without penalty.

Behind the scenes, the Ministry of Home Affairs and HSA are deepening cross-border cooperation, including working with Hong Kong’s Department of Health. Meanwhile, HSA has ramped up hiring, with over 800 applicants responding to a recent call for investigators dedicated to cracking down on Kpods distribution. More than 100 people are currently under investigation.

Still, PM Wong was unequivocal in stating that legislation alone is not enough. He emphasised the need for education, enforcement and rehabilitation, acknowledging the deeper social influences behind youth vaping.

The recovery challenge

If enforcement addresses the immediate threat, recovery speaks to the longer road ahead.

“We’ve only seen one or two Kpods cases so far,” says Dr Rayner Tan, head of research at The Greenhouse Community Services, and assistant professor at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore. “But many clients present with poly-drug use – meth, tobacco, alcohol. It’s often only later that other substances come to light.”

He stresses that addiction is not a moral failing, but “a complex health issue that spans physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions”.

“People fear being labelled an addict, or internalise that stigma themselves. This prevents them from reaching out.”

Recovery journeys, he explains, share a similar arc: cravings, withdrawal, emotional turmoil, then gradual rebuilding. But the nuances differ by drug. Peer support and safe spaces are essential, particularly for stigmatised communities.

“Professionals can’t be there every day, but peers can. They are there to celebrate successes and to provide support for one another during tough times,” he says.

As someone in recovery himself, Dr Tan frames the way forward as bringing together the “head, heart and hand”: knowledge, compassion and practical support.

A collective responsibility

The cumulative effect is a generation at risk – academically, socially and physiologically. By extension, families, schools and the workforce will bear the burden of disrupted lives and diminished futures. Hence, the crackdown on Kpods is a necessary intervention.

But what happens after the vapes are binned and the laws are passed?

It doesn’t end with bans, fines and jail time. Real progress also means meeting people where they are, offering support without judgement, and recognising addiction not as failure, but as a call for help.

This crisis didn’t happen overnight. Recovery won’t either, but it begins when we make space for healing, support and second chances.