Thailand Has Announced Strict Regulations On Head-top Electronic Cigarettes: Selling Etomidate Is Subject To A 15-year Heavy Sentence.

"Those who illegally possess the items will face a maximum prison term of seven years and a fine of 700,000 Thai baht. Sellers will face a prison term of up to 15 years and a fine of as much as 1.5 million Thai baht."

According to the Bangkok Post, today, Dr. Withid Sariddeechaikool, the deputy secretary of the Food and Drug Administration of Thailand (FDA), announced that starting from July 27th, the anesthetic etomidate will be classified as a second-class psychotropic drug. Illegal possessors will face a maximum of 7 years in prison and a fine of 700,000 Thai baht, while sellers will face a prison term of up to 15 years and a fine of up to 1.5 million Thai baht. This measure can be regarded as an emergency response to the recent multiple cases of "upgraded electronic cigarettes". Currently, etomidate is classified as a specially controlled substance and can only be used by doctors at medical centers under specific procedures or surgeries.
Etomidate is commonly known as "cigarette powder" and is a medical anesthetic. It is mixed by criminals into electronic cigarette liquid to make so-called "upgraded electronic cigarettes", and users will experience a similar drunken-like state after inhalation, thus earning the name "zombie electronic cigarettes" or "floating cartridges".

Dr. Withid specifically pointed out that this dangerous product has been rampant in multiple countries and is currently spreading rapidly to Thailand. According to the report by The Paper, from January to August 2023, a total of 3,409 cases of relying-methoxyethanol-related crimes were solved across the country, and 6,825 suspects were arrested. What is even more worrying is that the addicted population is showing a trend of younger age, with the youngest addict being only 13 years old. In China, relying-methoxyethanol was officially listed as a Class II psychotropic drug on October 1, 2023, but Thailand currently has no clear regulations. Although Thailand has declared e-cigarettes illegal, the black market is still prevalent. According to external statistics, there are approximately 7 million e-cigarette users in Thailand, of which over 40% are student groups. More importantly, Thailand's relaxed online shopping environment and developed logistics network provide perfect breeding grounds for "zombie e-cigarettes".