First etomidate e-liquid seizure recorded in following controlled substance classification

Macau classified etomidate and three related substances as controlled substances in last June, and as of this January, authorities had intercepted a related case, seizing three e-cigarette cartridges containing etomidate-infused e-liquid.

In June 2025, the local government officially added etomidate – commonly known as “space oil” – along with three analogues, including metomidate, propoxate, and isopropoxate, to the appendix of the Anti-Drug Law, classifying them as controlled substances subject to strict regulation.

Following the amendment, criminal penalties were imposed for the sale and use of these substances, with attempting to inhale etomidate using e-cigarette devices punishable as a criminal offense carrying a maximum sentence of up to one year in prison.

According to a recent response to a written inquiry from legislator Ella Lei, a total of 344 cases involving e-cigarette products were uncovered last year, resulting in the seizure of 715 e-cigarette devices and over 450,000 e-cigarette cartridges.

Among these, by early this year, according to a response released in late February, police had intercepted one case involving e-cigarette cartridges containing etomidate-laced e-liquid. The Office of the Secretary for Security acknowledged its efforts, stating: “The relevant substances are effectively controlled in Macau.”

In a written inquiry submitted in January this year, the lawmaker noted that Macau’s Central Registration System for Drug Abusers indicates the proportion of residents using drugs at home or abroad under peer influence has increased compared to previous years, while cases of drug smuggling through Macau continue to be uncovered from time to time.

She expressed hope that authorities would monitor emerging trends, such as the increasing concealment of drug abuse among adolescents, while strengthening cooperation with neighboring regions on intelligence sharing and joint enforcement to prevent Macau from becoming a drug transit point.

In response, the Office of the Secretary for Security emphasized its commitment to closely monitoring the abuse of new psychoactive substances both internationally and locally, and to advancing legislative processes to regulate emerging drugs based on local needs.

It noted that technology-based screening systems have been implemented at all the city’s major ports of entry, while also strengthening oversight of online purchases and mail-order shipments, and conducting targeted crackdowns on drug trafficking activities utilizing air transport, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, and cross-border vehicles – addressing Lei’s concern that smuggled e-cigarettes are increasingly being mixed with narcotic substances.

Notably, the sale of e-cigarettes has been prohibited in Macau since January 1, 2018. Effective December 5, 2022, a comprehensive ban was imposed on the manufacture, distribution, sale, import, and export of e-cigarettes, including a prohibition on carrying such products into or out of the region.

On the same date, e-cigarette products were also removed from the scope of the import licensing system under the city’s External Trade Law.