Latest news with #DangerousDrugsOrdinance
Time Out
09-07-2025
- Health
- Time Out
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.
HKFP
07-07-2025
- Health
- HKFP
Hong Kong to change name of drug ‘space oil' to reduce its appeal, security chief says
Hong Kong plans to rename the drug 'space oil' in a bid to reduce its appeal, security chief Chris Tang has said. Speaking at an anti-drug event on Sunday, Tang said that the authorities would soon give the illegal narcotic a new name because 'space oil' glamorises the drug. Space oil is the street name for a substance containing the short-acting anaesthetic etomidate, which was included under Hong Kong's dangerous drugs law in February, placing it in the same category as drugs like ketamine and cocaine. At the Sunday event, the security chief likened the appearance of space oil users to 'zombies' and said the government would make an official announcement on the new name soon. During a meeting with lawmakers last month, Tang suggested calling the substance 'zombie oil' to better reflect its effects on users. Space oil, which is usually inhaled through vaping, has gained popularity among Hong Kong youth as it is cheap, convenient, and delivers an instant high. It has become the third most commonly abused drug by the city's youth under 21, behind cannabis and cocaine, according to the authorities. 'Space oil drug' In February, the government renamed 'space oil' as 'space oil drug' to clarify 'its nature as a dangerous drug and its harmful effects.' Lawmaker and ophthalmologist Dennis Lam said at a Legislative Council meeting last month that the name 'space oil' had 'unnecessarily romanticised' the drug, adding that the authorities referred to cocaine, for instance, by its scientific name instead of the street name 'coke.' The drug began gaining popularity in 2023. Until the end of May this year, the police force and customs authorities have arrested a total of 566 people for unlawful possession of etomidate, of whom 134 were young people under the age of 21, according to the Security Bureau. The city's drug abuse registry also recorded 493 instances of space oil abuse, involving 356 people under 21. With etomidate currently under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, offenders face up to a fine of HK$1 million and seven years' imprisonment for possessing space oil, or a fine of HK$5 million and life imprisonment for trafficking. The anaesthetic was previously regulated by the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations, under which offenders may face a maximum fine of HK$100,000 and a two-year jail sentence. In March, lawmakers proposed setting up a reporting mechanism to flag space oil sellers, but Commissioner for Narcotics Kesson Lee said the authorities had no plans for a hotline, as young people were too 'rebellious' for such a system to function well.
RTHK
04-06-2025
- Health
- RTHK
Ban on space oil ingredients 'stops drug production'
Ban on space oil ingredients 'stops drug production' Henry Tong welcomes the government's proposal to ban all etomidate analogues. File photo: RTHK The government's latest proposal to ban all synthetic versions of a space oil drug ingredient can effectively prevent the production of different types of the drug, chairman of the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health Henry Tong said. The Security Bureau on Tuesday proposed introducing a generic definition of etomidate analogues under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, empowering law enforcement agencies to ban the trafficking of all etomidate analogues. Tong told RTHK that he welcomes the bureau's action. 'That's an effective way to prevent criminals from keep creating different space oil drugs,' he said. Tong also appealed to the government to impose a complete ban on the possession of e-cigarettes, which he said are the 'main and only device' for young people to take the space oil drug. 'If the government can outlaw the possession of any e-cigarettes in Hong Kong, that sends a very clear message to all the people that e-cigarette itself, the device itself, is illegal and dangerous,' he said. Tong also said many students became drug users due to various reasons, such as coming from broken families, suffering mental stress or having been bullied by other students.
RTHK
04-06-2025
- Health
- RTHK
Ban on space oil ingredients 'stops drug production'
Ban on space oil ingredients 'stops drug production' Henry Tong welcomes the government's proposal to ban all etomidate analogues. File photo: RTHK The government's latest proposal to ban all synthetic versions of a space oil drug ingredient can effectively prevent the production of different types of the drug, chairman of the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health Henry Tong said. The Security Bureau on Tuesday proposed introducing a generic definition of etomidate analogues under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, empowering law enforcement agencies to ban the trafficking of all etomidate analogues. Tong told RTHK that he welcomes the bureau's action. 'That's an effective way to prevent criminals from keep creating different space oil drugs,' he said. Tong also appealed to the government to impose a complete ban on the possession of e-cigarettes, which he said are the 'main and only device' for young people to take the space oil drug. 'If the government can outlaw the possession of any e-cigarettes in Hong Kong, that sends a very clear message to all the people that e-cigarette itself, the device itself, is illegal and dangerous,' he said. Tong also said many students became drug users due to various reasons, such as coming from broken families, suffering mental stress or having been bullied by other students.
RTHK
03-06-2025
- Health
- RTHK
HK aims to widen ban on space oil ingredients
HK aims to widen ban on space oil ingredients Commissioner for Narcotics Kesson Lee said Hong Kong would be the first place in the world to ban all etomidate analogues. File photo: RTHK The Security Bureau has proposed classifying all synthetic versions of etomidate, a space oil drug ingredient, as dangerous drugs. Speaking to the Legislative Council's security panel on Tuesday, Commissioner for Narcotics Kesson Lee noted that the government banned etomidate and its three analogues in February. However, scientific studies have proven that other analogues may also be turned into illegal drugs, despite the differences in their chemical structures, he said. 'It's just like no matter how a monster changes its form, it's still a monster.' Lee proposed introducing a generic definition of etomidate analogues under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, empowering law enforcement agencies to ban the trafficking of all etomidate analogues in a pre-emptive step. Lee said Hong Kong recorded 191 space oil drug abusers in the first quarter of this year, among which 128 were aged under 21. Since the government listed etomidate as a dangerous drug on February 14, the authorities have arrested 315 people and prevented at least 150,000 e-cartridges infused with the substance from entering the local market, authorities said. In addition, the government has vowed to step up the control of new dangerous chemicals, proposing to regulate six substances that have been put under international control recently.
