China Cracks Down on Drug-Laced Vapes Amid Youth Crisis

Chinese authorities are intensifying efforts to combat drug-laced e-cigarettes as a surge in youth addiction raises public health alarms across the country. The Supreme People’s Court (SPC) and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) have jointly pledged harsher penalties for traffickers who target minors, warning that synthetic substances disguised as vaping products have become the primary vehicle for drug abuse among young people.

Etomidate Surpasses Heroin in Abuse

At a press conference held on June 25 ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Liu Weibo, chief judge of the SPC’s Fifth Criminal Division, announced that the anesthetic etomidate has surpassed heroin to become the second most widely abused drug in China. Originally used by doctors during surgeries, etomidate is now being mixed into vape liquids and sold as so-called “head-rush e-cigarettes” (上头电子烟).

“E-cigarettes containing psychoactive substances are particularly common among minors and have become a major vehicle for drug abuse among young people,” Liu said. He noted that some teenagers obtain such substances out of curiosity or peer influence, while others are lured, coerced, or deceived into using them.

Alarming Statistics on Juvenile Drug Crimes

The SPC reported that the number of juvenile drug trafficking defendants and cases both fell by 32 percent year-on-year in 2025, with the decline continuing in the first five months of 2026 — signaling initial progress. However, compared with 2023, both figures were still about 1.8 times higher in 2025, indicating that the problem grew significantly before the recent crackdown began showing results.

Between January 2025 and May 2026, prosecutors nationwide approved the arrest of more than 29,000 people on drug-related charges, down 36 percent year-on-year, and prosecuted more than 46,000 suspects, a 30 percent decrease year-on-year, according to Miao Shengming, deputy procurator-general of the SPP.

High-Profile Cases and Sentencing

In a典型案例 released by the SPC, two men surnamed Zeng and Wu in Henan Province were each sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking 545 etomidate vape pods valued at over 165,000 yuan (approximately $24,300). The pair had exploited teenagers as distributors, highlighting the predatory nature of the illicit trade.

In another case detailed by the SPP, a minor purchased e-cigarette cartridges containing etomidate in Suqian, Jiangsu province, between July and October 2024, then transported them to Changzhou for use and sale. The minor and others sold 415.5 cartridges, collecting more than 212,800 yuan ($31,300). Several defendants were convicted, with sentences ranging from five months’ detention to four years in prison.

Diversifying Threats and Disguised Substances

Liu Weibo warned that substances involved in drug cases are becoming increasingly diverse. They include narcotic and psychotropic drugs diverted from medical institutions and pharmacies, as well as substances smuggled from overseas. “Some are disguised as milk tea, chocolate or e-cigarettes, while others are promoted as products for weight loss, energy-boosting or aphrodisiac effects, or are used in sexual assault-related crimes,” he said.

Zhang Jianzhong, head of the SPP’s Prosecutorial Department for Major Crimes, noted that while traditional drug crimes have continued to decline under sustained crackdowns, some offenders have shifted to addictive substances not yet under official control. Cases involving the production, sale, and abuse of substances such as nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”) and butane have rapidly increased, he warned.

Regulatory Evolution and Enforcement

China’s response to the crisis has evolved rapidly. In 2023, the government added etomidate to its list of controlled psychotropic substances, strictly regulating its production, sales, and use, with exceptions only for approved medications. This followed the 2021 addition of synthetic marijuana to the controlled substances list.

In January 2025, the China National Narcotics Control Committee, the Ministry of Public Security, and the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration jointly issued a guideline to intensify the crackdown on drug-laced e-cigarettes, establishing liaison mechanisms and enhancing inter-departmental coordination.

A tiered supervision model developed in Jiangsu — covering family and school discipline, supervised care, public security penalties, and criminal punishment — has covered 1,068 drug-related individuals, with 985 corrected at an early stage. The regional drug-related reoffending rate fell by 35 percent during the same period.

What’s Next

The SPC is currently drafting a judicial document specifically on handling new drug crimes, with provisions for cases involving minors. However, the cat-and-mouse dynamic between regulators and traffickers persists: as etomidate becomes controlled, dealers are already shifting to non-scheduled substances like nitrous oxide and butane. The effectiveness of China’s enforcement efforts will depend on how quickly authorities can close the regulatory loopholes that allow new psychoactive substances to proliferate.

For now, the message from Beijing is clear: those who exploit young people through drug-laced e-cigarettes will face the full force of the law.