Cases of KPods, vape juice mixed with etomidate, detected in Singapore have surged from five cases last year to over 20 cases by May 2025. While etomidate can induce temporary euphoria, it is a clinical anaesthetic that should be administered only under medical supervision.

IMH’s Senior Consultant and Chief of Addiction Department, Dr Lambert Low, cautioned that many underestimate KPods’ risk, mistakenly believing it being not a hard drug makes it safer and less likely to be caught. Users, usually driven by curiosity and peer influence, often lack complete understanding of etomidate’s health impact and withdrawal symptoms.

Regular KPods use leads to dependence, tolerance and addiction. The unregulated nature of these illegal vapes means users may unknowingly inhale additional harmful substances, including cannabis or ketamine, which can be more toxic than believed.

Dr Lambert highlighted that vaping delivers substances to the brain more rapidly than oral consumption, as it bypasses the digestive processes. Combined with typically frequent usage pattern, this significantly increases addiction risk.

Warning signs of addiction include unusual behavioural changes such as self-isolation and incoherent speech. Dr Lambert stressed the importance of reaching out to users through open, and non-confrontational conversations to understand and address the root causes of their vaping behaviour, while providing care, concern and support for recovery.