China’s Supreme People’s Court warned on Friday June 25 that the country’s drug abuse landscape has undergone a significant structural shift in recent years, with etomidate now surpassing heroin in prevalence, and young people increasingly becoming the primary group abusing new types of drugs, according to China’s state media.
The disclosure was made at a press conference themed “Punishing New Drug Crimes According to Law and Preventing Drug Abuse Among Minors,” where Liu Weibo, head of the court’s Fifth Criminal Division, stated that while China’s overall drug situation has continued to improve, it remains complex and volatile. A clear trend has emerged: offenders are getting younger, and minors are now the main demographic abusing new psychoactive substances and unscheduled addictive compounds.
Liu noted that the number of minors involved in drug-related cases dropped 32 percent year-on-year in 2025, with the decline continuing through May 2026, reflecting some progress in curbing youth drug abuse. However, compared to 2023, the number of cases and individuals involved rose approximately 1.8 times in 2025, and the substitution abuse of unscheduled addictive substances has become increasingly prominent during the same period.
Authorities identified dozens of substances currently being abused in China. Among those with no medical use, so-called “zombie vape” cartridges have emerged as the leading vehicle for minor drug abuse, with etomidate as the primary additive. Among medically licensed narcotics and psychotropics, dextromethorphan is the most common. Nitrous oxide dominates among unscheduled addictive substances.
Officials also highlighted that drugs are being disguised in everyday products such as milk tea, chocolate, and e-cigarettes, or marketed with claims of weight loss, stimulation, or sexual enhancement — with some even implicitly promoted for use as date rape drugs.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), June 25, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202606250337.aspx