A pharmacist on Monday said regulations on short-acting anaesthetics were not strong enough to deter their recreational use.

Hong Kong has this year recorded at least three deaths caused by the suspected usage of “space oil”, according to the Toxicology Reference Laboratory of the Hong Kong Poison Control Centre.

Often inhaled through vapes, “space oil” usually contains etomidate, a regulated sedative that is prescribed by a doctor. The anaesthetic is classified as a Part 1 poison.

The president of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Hong Kong So Yiu-wah said the long-term use of etomidate could be deadly.

"The drug will suppress the cortisol level inside our body. Once the cortisol is lowered, then our blood potassium will also be lowered, making muscles, especially the legs, seem very weak," he said.

"Because the potassium level is low, the heartbeat may become irregular. If those people already have some heart disease, it may be even fatal."

He also said penalties for the illegal use of the drug are not stringent enough.

“The penalty is high not enough, because for those people who violate the [regulation], the maximum penalty is a HK$100,000 [fine] and being kept in jail for two years,” he said.

The government is seeking to list the sedative as a dangerous drug in the first half of 2025, according to security minister Chris Tang, who also said taking “space oil” would be equivalent to taking drugs.

If etomidate is listed as a dangerous drug, those illegally possessing or consuming “space oil” containing the substance would face a maximum of seven years in prison and a fine of HK$1 million.

And those trafficking or illegally importing the drug would be liable to a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of HK$5 million.