What is space oil?

Update November 2025:

• We’ve been seeing more etomidate through drug checking clinics this year - usually in vape pods sold on the black market
• High Alert has warned that some people have been hospitalised after using the drug in New Zealand
• Vaping can make it hard to keep track of how much you’ve taken, which means it’s easy to take too much
• We’ve also seen other drugs mixed in with vape pods sold as etomidate, including GBL, pregabalin and traces of ketamine

 

Space oil, k-pods, space vapes, eto - you may have heard of a ‘new’ drug being sold in vape pens over the last year. But what is this mystery drug?

These vapes contain a drug called etomidate. It’s used medically as a short acting anesthetic during surgery.

We have also seen these vapes being sold as ‘high dose nicotine’ and ‘liquid ketamine’. In other parts of the world, they are misrepresented as cannabis vapes.

 

 

What does etomidate feel like? 

Etomidate has a very quick onset and is short lasting. You can have sensations of ‘floating’, feel disconnected from reality, euphoria and numbness in your body. You can also feel nauseous, drowsy, confused or disoriented and have difficulty speaking or moving. Some people report throwing up after vaping etomidate over a period of a few hours. One person tells us their experience of vaping etomidate:

“It made me feel light and relaxed; time definitely went by quickly. We were sitting there for a few hours vaping, but it seemed like much less - hits lasted about 20 minutes each. It was more mellow and less intense compared to my experiences with K, reminded me of a more potent version of nangs."

In higher doses, etomidate can cause seizures, tremors, loss of consciousness and agitation or aggression. More rarely, etomidate can also cause something called ‘adrenal suppression’ which, in severe cases, can result in organ failure.

Etomidate is pretty new to the ‘recreational’ drug scene, which means that we also don’t know much about how the experience ranges from person to person, and the long-term impacts of regular use.

 

How to stay safer if using etomidate

If you are using etomidate vapes, here are some ways you can stay safer:

• Try a ‘tester’ dose first. Unlike regulated nicotine vapes, etomidate vapes do not have any quality control. This means that it is impossible to know what exactly is in them, or what the dose is per ‘puff’. It is a good idea to take a test dose first (by vaping a small amount) and wait half an hour to see how it makes you feel, before you decide to use more.
• Avoid mixing with other drugs, medicines and alcohol, particularly other depressants such as benzos or opioids. This can significantly increase your risk of experiencing an overdose. If you are taking other drugs with etomidate, try to leave as much time as possible between your dose of each to reduce the risk.
• Use with a sober buddy who knows what to do if you start to become unwell. This is particularly important as etomidate can sometimes cause seizures - which can be very dangerous if you don’t have someone with you to keep you safe and get medical attention.
• Know what you’re taking.  It's a good idea to get your etomidate checked at a drug checking service so you can know what is really in it. You can’t tell if a vape or vape juice contains etomidate by the way it looks, smells or tastes. Note that depending on the concentration of the vape, it can sometimes be hard for drug checking to detect etomidate – but it’s still worth getting checked out.
• Keep track of how much you are using - and don’t overdo it. Vaping drugs can make it really hard to dose accurately - and make it a lot easier to take too much. As etomidate is short-lasting, it can also be tempting to keep vaping to chase the effects. However, this is much more likely to lead to unpleasant or dangerous effects. Try to track how much you are vaping and plan for when you are going to stop.

One person tells us about the temptation to continue vaping more and more:

"The vape wasn't worth the cost, it was gone in no time!!"

 

Is etomidate addictive?

There's still a lot we don’t know about etomidate, however, there have been reports of people who use etomidate regularly experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

Some of the symptoms of etomidate withdrawal can include anxiety and irritability, hallucinations, mood swings and strong cravings to use etomidate. For people who have used a large amount of etomidate or have used it over a long period of time, withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous. This is because etomidate works on the GABA receptors in the brain. Withdrawal can sometimes cause seizures - similar to withdrawal from alcohol or benzodiazepines.

If you think you may be at risk of etomidate withdrawal, get medical advice. If you want support to reduce your use of etomidate you can explore your options on our Support page.

 

What to do if you take too much etomidate

Unlike swallowing or snorting a drug, it’s really difficult to accurately measure a ‘dose’ of vaped etomidate. This can mean that it’s easier to take too much. Most of the hospitalizations involving etomidate are related to people redosing (taking more after the first dose). often over a period of time.

Signs that someone may be experiencing an etomidate overdose include:

• Psychological disturbances or emotional distress
• Tremors or seizures
• Becoming unresponsive or losing consciousness
• Slowed or shallow breathing
• Vomiting (especially repetitively)
• Chest pains or an abnormal heartrate
• Fevers 

If someone you are with shows these symptoms, call 111 and get them medical attention as soon as possible. If they are breathing, place them in the recovery position. If they are not breathing, give them CPR (or rescue breaths).

If a person is having a seizure, do not attempt to restrain them. Move any dangerous objects from around them, and if safe to do so, place something soft under their head. Time the seizure so you can let the paramedics know.