CAPHRA Says Nicotine Should Not Be Criminalised Over Illicit Vape Products

WELLINGTON, New Zealand, March 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) says the rise of etomidate-laced “zombie vapes” in parts of Asia is a serious criminal and public health problem, but warns governments not to use it as an excuse to crack down on safer nicotine products used by adults to quit smoking.

Reports from across the region have linked illicit vape products to etomidate, a hospital anaesthetic that authorities say can cause dangerous reactions including breathing difficulties, spasms and seizures when inhaled. Singapore authorities have also reported a sharp increase in etomidate-linked vape cases, highlighting the speed at which the black market is evolving.

CAPHRA Executive Coordinator Nancy Loucas said policymakers must draw a clear line between criminally adulterated vape products and regulated nicotine alternatives intended for adult smokers.

“Etomidate has no place in any consumer vape product,” Loucas said. “But governments should not confuse a black-market drug problem with tobacco harm reduction.”

She said the real threat comes from illegal supply chains that target young people with unregulated, adulterated products, often marketed online and outside any proper consumer safeguards.

“Adults trying to quit smoking should not be punished for the actions of criminal traffickers,” Loucas said.

“If policymakers respond by restricting access to safer nicotine products, they risk protecting the cigarette trade while criminal markets adapt and expand.”

CAPHRA says the appropriate response is tough enforcement against traffickers, stronger testing and surveillance, and clear public warnings about drug-laced illicit devices. At the same time, the group says adults who smoke should retain access to regulated, lower-risk nicotine alternatives as part of a credible harm reduction strategy.

“Smoking and other high-risk tobacco products continue to kill on a massive scale,” Loucas said. “Public policy must stay focused on what saves lives, and that means targeting criminal adulteration without driving adults back to smoking.”

Media Contact:
NE Loucas, Executive Coordinator CAPHRA
neloucas@caphraorg.net