Hong Kong government to change the name of ‘space oil' drug to make it less appealing
Space oil is the street term for a narcotic substance containing etomidate, which is a short-term anaesthetic. It is usually inhaled through vaping and has been getting increasingly popular, especially among younger Hongkongers, because it is cheap and convenient to consume, becoming our city's third most commonly used drug by people under 21. The government has been trying to clamp down hard on space oil since it gained popularity in 2023, including it in Hong Kong's Dangerous Drugs Ordinance in February alongside cocaine and ketamine.
The issue had previously been brought up at a Legislative Council meeting last month that the name space oil had 'unnecessarily romanticised' the drug, and earlier this February, the government had already started referring to the narcotic as 'space oil drug' officially, instead of just space oil.
It now looks like space oil is going through another rebranding, as the security chief confirms that the government will be announcing its new name soon. Nothing has been set in stone yet, but Tang had also compared the appearance of space oil users to 'zombies' before and suggested changing the drug's moniker to 'zombie oil' instead.
If the goal is to make drugs sound less fun, perhaps they shouldn't name them after anything you can theme Halloween costumes around. Watch this space for updates on what we should call space oil next.
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Hong Kong government to change the name of ‘space oil' drug to make it less appealing
In an anti-drug event over the weekend just past, Hong Kong's security chief Chris Tang said that the government plans to rename the drug currently known as 'space oil' to reduce its appeal. Space oil is the street term for a narcotic substance containing etomidate, which is a short-term anaesthetic. It is usually inhaled through vaping and has been getting increasingly popular, especially among younger Hongkongers, because it is cheap and convenient to consume, becoming our city's third most commonly used drug by people under 21. The government has been trying to clamp down hard on space oil since it gained popularity in 2023, including it in Hong Kong's Dangerous Drugs Ordinance in February alongside cocaine and ketamine. The issue had previously been brought up at a Legislative Council meeting last month that the name space oil had 'unnecessarily romanticised' the drug, and earlier this February, the government had already started referring to the narcotic as 'space oil drug' officially, instead of just space oil. It now looks like space oil is going through another rebranding, as the security chief confirms that the government will be announcing its new name soon. Nothing has been set in stone yet, but Tang had also compared the appearance of space oil users to 'zombies' before and suggested changing the drug's moniker to 'zombie oil' instead. If the goal is to make drugs sound less fun, perhaps they shouldn't name them after anything you can theme Halloween costumes around. Watch this space for updates on what we should call space oil next.
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