In Malaysia, drug-laced vape seizures stoke US-like ‘zombie epidemic’ fears
Viral ‘zombie vape’ videos prompt arrests and warnings of a growing substance abuse crisis in the country
Viral “zombie vape” videos of young Malaysian men appearing dazed and disoriented after vaping have intensified concern that drug-laced liquids are spreading through the country’s booming e-cigarette market.
The clips, shared widely on social media over the past month, showed local men slumped on the ground or behaving erratically after allegedly inhaling piu-piu or piao-piao (online slang for drug-laced vape liquids).
At least two viral cases triggered arrests and fresh police warnings regarding people “vaping excessively and carrying out shameful acts”.
“The trend not only gives a negative image to the younger generation but is feared to become a medium for normalising the culture of substance abuse and an unhealthy lifestyle,” Hussein Omar Khan, director of the Federal Narcotics Crime Investigation Department, said in a statement on Tuesday.
He added that some vape products were suspected of being mixed with dangerous substances or synthetic drugs that could threaten users’ safety.
Police arrested three people, including a suspected supplier, and seized a bottle of vape liquid believed to contain ketamine, after a video showed two men in an intoxicated daze at a residential parking space in Selangor.