The ‘Zombie Vape’ That’s Hooking Singapore’s Youth: Kpods

By Heartscape Intern, Chia Yu

At first glance, 'Kpods' sounds like a new tech gadget or a trendy accessory. Imagine my shock when I discovered it's the new dangerous 'trend' among youths in Singapore. Vapes have been a known issue for a while, so what makes Kpods so different?

What are Kpods?

Kpods – also known as Zombie vapes – are vapes laced with etomidate, an anaesthetic drug (Chua, 2025). Occasionally, they may also be laced with ketamine, another drug with hallucinogenic properties (Lau, 2025). However, what is present in the cartridges tend to be unpredictable combinations of different synthetic drugs such that even its users are playing Russian Roulette with every Kpod they use. This makes Kpods different from other vapes – which typically only contain nicotine. It also makes it more dangerous as the combination of different synthetic drugs can have various side effects such as hallucinations, seizures, memory loss, and severe heart problems (Nur Nadia, 2025).

Kpods and…youths?

Its dangers are amplified in the hands of their primary users and target audience – youths. Kpods, like vapes, are typically sold through Telegram. Thanks to technology, Kpods hence becomes highly accessible to youths. Further, there is a general lack of awareness of the long-term health effects of prolonged usage of the substances, with the harmful effects masked by the deceivingly sweet smell of Kpods. Much like sweet-tasting alcohol, they are seemingly harmless. But by the time you feel the hit, you are already too drunk to make informed decisions.

Why is it that so many youths are falling victim to Kpods?

How It Starts

There are factors that make some youths inherently more susceptible to falling into the Kpod trap than others.

One reason could be the difference in their ability to control their impulses. The prefrontal cortex is in charge of controlling certain impulses (Sharma et al., 2013), and the development of this occurs at different rates for different youths. A less developed prefrontal cortex will contribute to making more impulsive decisions.

Beyond just biological differences, some youths are also more likely to turn to Kpods due to their inherent inability to self-regulate their emotions. This inability to process their emotions can lead to youths seeking external stimuli like Kpods to distract themselves from how they are feeling.

This may be made worse if the youth is unable to seek out their peers and family for social support as a healthy coping mechanism as this may encourage them to seek out substances like Kpods to deal with their struggles. A youth’s family environment can also influence the likelihood of them turning to Kpods. For example, when a young person grows up in a home where adults are engaging in impulsive behaviors, these actions can be seen as normal. This can create a cycle where these behaviors are learned and passed down, making it even harder for the youth to break free.

The Downward Spiral

While the factors above may have started youths on Kpods for the first time, there are more factors that may contribute to their continued usage.

One big factor of consideration is the withdrawal symptoms that youths experience from staving off of Kpods. It puts them in immense discomfort and leaves them wishing for the euphoric high they had experienced. For those with a lower baseline for impulse control, this feeling of discomfort would push them to continue using, even if they know that it's wrong.

Psychologically, youths may continuously turn to Kpods as a way to avoid thinking about how they feel if they feel disconnected from their emotions. This disconnect can also leave youths feeling empty, encouraging them to engage in risky behaviours to “feel something” (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2014).

Peers also have a huge influence on whether youths continue usage. The pressure to fit in can be overwhelming as youths tend to experience a strong need for social acceptance and belonging in this developmental period. If their friends are engaging in impulsive behaviors, a young person may feel compelled to do the same to gain acceptance. This is further amplified by how easily available risky substances or activities can be, thanks to online communities and a lack of oversight.

The Domino Effect

With so many possible factors coming into play, it becomes clearer why youths seem to take easily to this dangerous “trend”.

Perhaps in an extreme moment of boredom or when faced with a huge stressor, the youth may not have been adequately equipped to deal with their emotions, and as such turned to Kpods for the first time. With the chemically-induced high serving as a form of escape, the withdrawal symptoms from which kept them coming back for more.

To make it even worse, there seems to be a perceived reality of the lack of legal consequences of consuming Kpods as “the drug would not be detectable on a urine test”, and due to the classification of etomidate (not as a drug, but as a poison) (Lau, 2025). This could perhaps give youths the illusion that the larger society is more lenient on Kpods, or give them the illusion of impunity even as they use Kpods – which are illegal due to its identity as a vape – thereby encouraging them to continue using Kpods.

The Real Price Tag: Health and Future

It is widely known that substances like drugs, alcohol, and smoking do not actually help practically in solving your problems. Instead, some immediate mental health effects they may experience from the use of Kpods include (Yusof & Tan, 2025):

• Hallucinations

• Anxiety

• Paranoia

• Increased risk of schizophrenia and depression

It can have biological impacts as well. The chemical content in Kpods can stunt growth and alter your brain chemistry leading to the mental health effects previously mentioned. It can also lead to scarring of lungs, which may eventually lead to respiratory failure (Shah, 2025). The chemically-induced high also reinforces the cycle of usage as youths will keep chasing the high they experienced.

Are these side effects worth the satisfaction of curiosity and the temporary high? Perhaps not, but most youths find it difficult to stop even if they believe that they can stop anytime.

Not all hope is lost. Instead of focusing on a cure, we can double-down on prevention. Perhaps our question should be, "How do we make sure young people don’t feel the need for them in the first place?" The solution goes beyond simply criminalising these substances; it requires us to also create a supportive environment where youths feel safe to talk about their struggles and find healthier ways to cope.

One good example of this is through psychoeducation. Knowledge about the negative side effects of Kpods can serve as a strong deterrent, while teaching healthy coping mechanisms may allow youths to see alternatives to managing their emotions. Psychotherapy, which helps individuals explore and address the underlying reasons for their substance use, is another crucial option for managing youths on Kpods. Ultimately, while the Government is taking active steps to crack down on Kpod sellers, and the negative effects of Kpods are increasingly widely talked about as the trend gains prominence, a multi-pronged approach to target the root cause of the problem is key.

References

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2014). Understanding the impact of trauma. Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services - NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207191/

Chua, N. (2025, July 22). A deadly cocktail: Easy access, lax attitudes driving Kpod scourge in S’pore. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/boom-in-drug-production-easy-access-to-vapes-permissive-attitudes-towards-kpods-a-deadly-cocktail

Lau, D. (2025, July 22). They look like regular vapes, but drug-laced “Kpods” are more lethal and pernicious. CNA. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/today/big-read/kpods-drugs-vapes-legal-grey-areas-5230556

Nur Nadia. (2025, July 30). Kpods: A Silent Threat to Youths - Singapore Heart Foundation. Singapore Heart Foundation. https://www.myheart.org.sg/heart-news/kpods-a-silent-threat-to-young-hearts/

Shah, A. (2025, June 2). Etomidate-laced vape cases up 4 times this year, HSA says closely scanning online listings. CNA. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/singapore-vaping-rise-youths-etomidate-kpods-5160546

Sharma, S., Arain, N., Mathur, N., Rais, N., Nel, N., Sandhu, N., Haque, N., & Johal, N. (2013). Maturation of the adolescent brain. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 449. https://doi.org/10.2147/ndt.s39776

Yusof, Z. M., & Tan, C. (2025, August 9). Profile of Kpod user has shifted from hardcore drug users to young people: Experts. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/profile-of-kpod-user-has-shifted-from-hardcore-drug-users-to-young-people-experts