Updated: 2026-11-07 9:22 AM [Epoch Times, November 7, 2026] (Epoch Times reporter CHUANG,AI-YUN, Taipei, Taiwan) Etomidate, disguised as e-cigarette cartridges, is circulating rapidly infiltrating schools and among young people due to its low price and ease of access. Experts point out that teenagers’ motivations for taking drugs are not complicated; they may try them out of curiosity or underestimating the risks. When drugs are increasingly resembling everyday consumer goods through packaging and social media marketing, their vigilance may be weakened, and they may even underestimate the risk of addiction.
In recent years, drug cases involving teenagers have increased significantly. Etomidate, commonly known as “zombie cartridges,” has rapidly proliferated, especially since it is often disguised as e-cigarette cartridges, making it relatively easy to obtain. According to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of reported cases of drug use among children and adolescents has been increasing year by year, reaching 819 in 2023, 1,097 in 2024, and 1,229 in 2025. Of these, 363 were school-aged children and adolescents, 531 in 2025, and 591 in 2026, accounting for approximately 40% to 50% of the total.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare pointed out that the situation of school-aged children and adolescents being exposed to Class I and II drugs is becoming increasingly serious. The number of reported cases increased from 39 in 2023 to 90 in 2024, and further climbed to 239 in 2025, an increase of more than five times in two years. In contrast, the number of people using Class III and IV drugs increased from 324 in 2023 to 441 in 2024, and is expected to decrease to 352 in 2025.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, among the top five types of drugs students are exposed to, ketamine has ranked first for three consecutive years since 2021; etomidate has jumped to second place since 2024, surpassing marijuana and amphetamines. Etomidate is classified as a Schedule I drug, amphetamines and marijuana as Schedule II drugs, and ketamine as Schedule III drugs.
The rapidly changing forms of emerging drugs and the continuous increase in the number of drug reports in schools make understanding the current situation of drug exposure among teenagers a crucial issue in drug prevention.
Curiosity and underestimating risks are the entry points.
Wang Po-Chi, associate professor of the Department of Criminal Justice at Ming Chuan University, told The Epoch Times that drug use patterns in Taiwan have changed significantly in the past 20 years. Besides users seeking novelty, this is also related to the shift of drug carriers to forms closer to everyday consumer goods, such as drug-laced coffee packets, e-cigarette oil, and e-cigarette cartridges. These are also more covert and convenient to use than traditional drugs, and can even be obtained online, lowering the barrier for young people to access drugs. When new drugs first emerge, their dangers are often not fully understood, easily leading users to the misconception that “it’s not that serious,” and prompting them to try them out of curiosity or underestimating the risks.
HSIAO,LI-YANG, Deputy Secretary-General of the Taiwan Community Pharmacy Association, pointed out in an interview with *The Epoch Times* that people’s motivations for using drugs are not complex, mostly stemming from curiosity, life stress, or social circumstances. From the perspective of seeking euphoria and stress relief, these motivations are not significantly different from those for using tobacco, alcohol, or betel nuts; the difference lies in the higher addictiveness and social harm of drugs.
While the general public is generally wary of drugs, in recent years some new drugs have appeared in the form of e-cigarette cartridges and drug-laced coffee packets, even combining flavors, packaging, and social media marketing to gradually resemble everyday consumer products. HSIAO,LI-YANG stated that as drugs become more and more like everyday consumer products, users’ wariness may be weakened. Especially for teenagers, e-cigarettes and coffee packets offer a sense of novelty, similar to the past feeling of “how cool” seeing adults smoking, only the form of products attracting curiosity has changed.
Low Price, Online Purchase, Easy Use, High Prevention Difficulty
Besides changes in motivation and awareness, the price and acquisition methods of drugs are also different from the past. WU,HSIN-TAILS, a physician and candidate for Taipei City Councilor in the Neihu-Huanggang District, told *The Epoch Times* that compared to the past when heroin was more expensive and difficult to obtain, a single “zombie” e-cigarette cartridge now costs about NT$300-400 and can even be ordered online or picked up at convenience stores, lowering the barrier to acquisition.
Furthermore, in the past, drug use required specific channels and knowledge of its use. Now, it’s simply a matter of changing the cartridge to an e-cigarette, which is difficult to distinguish from a regular e-cigarette. WU,HSIN-TAILS said that some teenagers may obtain them from peers and may not even know what substances are mixed into the cartridges, increasing the difficulty of drug prevention in schools.
In addition to ease of acquisition, mixing is also a major challenge in preventing emerging drugs. Drug-laced coffee packets may contain multiple drug components simultaneously, and sellers may not be aware of the actual contents. Etomidate, originally an anesthetic drug, can suppress respiration and affect adrenal function, increasing health risks. Its rapid metabolism also makes detection more difficult. WU,HSIN-TAI stated that etomidate is metabolized quickly in the body, and may become undetectable in urine after about two days. This detection time is shorter than that of ketamine and amphetamines, potentially leading to situations where “the person is arrested, but the drug cannot be detected,” increasing the difficulty of subsequent punishment, counseling, and treatment intervention.
Integrating Resources to Strengthen Prevention and Early Intervention
Faced with the challenges of prevention and treatment posed by emerging drugs, WU,HSIN-TAILS pointed out that there is currently a lack of alternative treatments similar to methadone for emerging drugs such as etomidate and “meow meow.” Therefore, relevant policies should focus more on source prevention and control. Local governments should also integrate resources from schools, families, and communities to intervene early before teenagers become addicted or commit crimes.
Regarding prevention strategies, Wang Po-Chi believes that drug prevention should strengthen secondary prevention targeting potential users. In addition to public awareness campaigns and treatment and reintegration for addicts, it’s also beneficial to invite those who have successfully overcome addiction to share their experiences, using real stories to resonate with high-risk groups.