Hong Kong police have made over 90 arrests in the first 10 months of this year for offenses related to the emerging drug known as “space oil,” the city’s police commissioner revealed on Saturday.
Police Commissioner Raymond Siu told reporters that space oil, which is typically inhaled through vapes, often contains etomidate – a potent sedative that is classified as a Part 1 poison and can only be legally prescribed by a doctor.
“In the future, when patrolling officers find someone who’s suspicious, let’s say the person is suspected of taking space oil, we could immediately use test strips to check. We hope that this could have a deterrent effect,” Siu said after a passing-out parade.
The police chief noted that in a recent operation focused on space oil in the Kwai Tsing district, 13 of the 17 arrestees were students.
To combat the growing use of this dangerous drug, Siu said the police will step up education efforts, inviting former users as well as medical professionals to share the health hazards of space oil.
The Hong Kong government is aiming to list space oil as a dangerous drug in 2023.
