Hong Kong reclassifies "space oil" ingredients as dangerous drugs

Photo: Narcotics Division, Security Bureau website .

The reclassification of the narcotic’s key ingredients in "space oil" as dangerous drugs took effect in Hong Kong on Friday and up to this time, five people have been arrested by the police with the aid of rapid test kits to detect the chemical component, officials said.

According to the Commissioner for Narcotics Kesson Lee, the legal amendment would increase the deterrent effect among users and dealers, in addition to giving authorities greater enforcement powers.

“We have seen that police made five arrests using the rapid test strips, with five people being arrested in five cases,” he said. “We can see that these tools have an actual impact, and I believe that frontline police officers have had a very large deterrent effect after being equipped with these test strips.”

The commissioner said there were already 20,000 uniformed officers who had been trained in using the test kits and they have started carrying test kits that can detect traces of etomidate, an anaesthetic and key ingredient in space oil, since mid-January as part of efforts to combat the substance’s growing popularity.

Space oil is known to be packed up in e-cigarette capsules and continuous use of it poses a danger to users’ physical and mental health, leading to conditions such as addiction, memory loss, seizures, loss of consciousness and even death, the report said.

The Government has listed etomidate and its three analogues (etomidate, propoxate and isopropoxide) as dangerous drugs with the change taking effect immediately after it was gazetted

Under the strict control of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (DDO), trafficking and illicit manufacturing of these substances are liable to a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of $5 million. Possession and consumption of these substances in contravention of the DDO will be subject to a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment and a fine of $1 million.

香港將「太空油」成分重新歸類為危險藥物

官員稱，週五，香港將「太空油」中的麻醉劑主要成分重新歸類為危險藥物，截至目前，警方已藉助快速檢測試劑盒檢測化學成分，逮捕了五人。

禁毒專員 Kesson Lee 表示，法律修正案除了賦予當局更大的執法權力外，還將增強對使用者和經銷商的威懾作用。

他說：“我們看到警方使用快速試紙條逮捕了五人，其中五起案件中有五人被捕。”

“我們可以看到這些工具有實際的作用，我相信一線警察在配備了這些試紙後，產生了非常大的威懾作用。”

該專員表示，已經有 20,000 名穿制服的警察接受了使用測試套件的培訓，自 1 月中旬以來，他們已經開始攜帶可以檢測依托咪酯（一種麻醉劑和太空油的關鍵成分）痕蹟的測試套件，作為對抗該物質日益流行的努力的一部分。

報告稱，眾所周知，電子煙膠囊含有太空油，持續使用會對使用者的身心健康構成危險，導致成癮、記憶喪失、癲癇發作、意識喪失甚至死亡等情況。

週五，當局將依托咪酯從第 1 部分毒藥重新歸類為危險藥物，這項變更在憲報公佈後立即生效

三種類似的物質，即甲咪酯、丙酯和異丙酯，也被列為危險藥物。

在《危險藥物條例》（DDO）的嚴格管制下，販運及非法製造這些物質最高可被判處無期徒刑及罰款500萬元。 違反《DDO》而持有和消費這些物質將面臨最高七年監禁和 100 萬美元罰款的處罰。