‘Zombie Cigarettes’: The Temptation of Illegal Drugs Must Be Firmly Rejected

Editorial

15:22 JST, April 5, 2026

Illegal drugs known as “zombie cigarettes” are circulating, primarily among young people. This is a time of year when there are more new encounters, due to students entering higher education or joining the workforce. People must be ready to firmly reject such alluring temptations.

Last month, an 18-year-old male company employee in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, was arrested by police on suspicion of violating the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Law for possession of the designated substance etomidate. Etomidate is used overseas as a sedative, and excessive use harms one’s health.

The drug has acquired the nickname “zombie cigarettes” because those who abuse it experience trembling limbs and stagger like zombies. There is a risk of losing consciousness, and the substance is highly addictive. If inhaled while driving, there is a strong possibility that harm could also be caused to people nearby.

The drug has become a problem in areas such as Hong Kong and Taiwan, leading the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry in May last year to add it to the list of designated substances for which possession and use are prohibited. However, use of the drug among young people and others has continued, and according to the National Police Agency, police took action against 27 people by the end of last year. Of these, the NPA said 23 were between age 10 and 29.

This is an issue that cannot be left unaddressed. Measures must be taken as soon as possible. Etomidate is traded on social media and elsewhere for around several tens of thousands of yen per cartridge. Crackdowns on illicit trafficking must be strengthened to stop distribution.

Etomidate is inhaled using electronic cigarette devices, which vaporize liquids with fruit flavors or other scents for users to inhale and enjoy. Since e-cigarettes do not fall under the legal definition of tobacco, anyone can easily purchase them at general stores or on the internet.

There is also the problem of it being difficult to distinguish at a glance whether a drug a person is inhaling is illegal.

Last month, a male university student was referred to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Law for selling “Nicopuff” disposable vapes, an e-cigarette containing nicotine. The sale of such devices containing nicotine is prohibited. He is alleged to have sold 10 Nicopuff units, which he personally imported from overseas, to a high school student for ¥40,000.

The high school student was quoted by police as saying, “People around me are smoking them, and I thought it was cool.” There is a risk that such habits, started as part of a fad, could become a gateway to the use of other substances such as stimulants.

The government has strengthened regulations each time a new drug emerges, but a cat-and-mouse game continues as substances can fall outside the scope of regulations if their ingredients are slightly altered.

Given the series of cases involving the inhalation of illegal drugs using e-cigarette devices, is it not necessary to change the current environment in which even children can obtain them?

In many cases, people dabble in illegal drugs for the first time after being encouraged by friends or their seniors. It is also important for families and schools to repeatedly convey the dangers involved.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 5, 2026)