<p><span class="strongInContent">Zombie cigarettes&#8221; are increasing among young people. Although there are few reports, it is said that the contamination has reached the Tokyo metropolitan area as well. The &#8220;Toyoko neighborhood&#8221; in Shinjuku&#8217;s Kabukicho district is at the forefront of this trend. Writer Takayuki Urushibara, who has covered many underground areas, takes a close look at the darkness of the area.</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_460307" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-460307" style="width: 3968px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="4661365f"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/868dceea2a963d76871c25c2fa68ac04.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-460307" class="wp-caption-text"> In January, a Thai national was arrested at Kansai Airport. The seized etomidate amounted to about 1,000 cartridges (500 g).</figcaption></figure>
<h3><span class="strongInContent"> Reason for Selling&#8221; Revealed by the Dealer</span></h3>
<p> Etmidate is still fresh in the memory of the case in which Ryutaro Hatsuki, 25, a member of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, was arrested for using the drug and had his contract terminated by the team. Etmidate is a synthetic drug, which is a narcotic converted from medical anesthesia.</p>
<p> While it gives the user an intoxicating high, it is also said to be highly addictive. It also has side effects such as decreased cognition, lack of brain acidity due to disrupted spontaneous breathing, severe convulsions, and bizarre behavior. They are also called &#8220;zombie cigarettes&#8221; because their movements look like those of zombies. In August 25, a man in his 20s was arrested for possessing zombie cigarettes in a parking lot in a club district in Shibuya, Tokyo. This was the first arrest in Tokyo.</p>
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<p><span class="strongInContent"> &#8221;A police officer spotted a car that was moving suspiciously and questioned him about his duties, and found liquid containing etomidate in the car. Users have been caught all over Japan, and the damage is particularly serious in Okinawa. On January 30, the Yonabaru Police Station of the Okinawa Prefectural Police re-arrested a junior high school boy (15), who had been arrested on a separate charge of possessing approximately 0.75 g of e-cigarette liquid containing the designated drug etomidate, on suspicion of violating the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Law. A junior high school student was also caught in Okinawa last December, and the prefectural police are investigating the details of how he obtained the drugs.</span></p>
<p> While cocaine and stimulants are traded at 30,000 to 50,000 yen per gram, zombie cigarettes are available for less than one-third the price. This low price is one of the reasons for the rapid expansion of zombie cigarettes throughout Japan. On the other hand, dealers also have their own reasons for dealing in zombie cigarettes. By mixing expensive drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and LSD with inexpensive zombie cigarettes, they are able to lower the price to about 10,000 yen without sacrificing the effects.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Many people soak their cigarettes in CBD like paper cigarettes or smoke them like a vape using a liquid atomizer. Some of them just smoke it or snort it, but I tell them to be careful when they sell it because you can&#8217;t predict when it will suddenly go haywire or stop working.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Many dealers use etomidate as a splitting drug. They use etomidate to add a little extra to their other drugs. This way, they can make more money,&#8221; said a dealer group member.</span></p>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" The reality of &quot;tohyoko contamination&quot; that is spreading"></div>
<figure id="attachment_460308" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-460308" style="width: 664px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="408a12c5"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/b8bb8493f1b8a2d2be5133634b198243.png" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-460308" class="wp-caption-text">Solid-type zombie cigarettes obtained by the author. Liquid cigarettes are popular among young people, but solid cigarettes are also available.</figcaption></figure>
<h3><span class="strongInContent"> Drugged without realizing it</span></h3>
<p> With many reports of busts in Okinawa and few arrests in Tokyo, one might get the impression that these drugs have not yet entered the Tokyo metropolitan area. However, the evil influence is certainly spreading. The front line in Tokyo is said to be the &#8220;Toyoko neighborhood,&#8221; a well-known hangout for young people.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> The drug is being spread among the group, and kids who get wind of it are jumping on the bandwagon and buying it. Compared to other drugs, it is inexpensive and can be purchased on SNS if one is so inclined. However, the reason there have been almost no reports of &#8220;zombification&#8221; is that many of the drugs being distributed are inferior products with a low concentration of etomidate.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Even if the concentration is thin, it seems that when taken with alcohol or drugs, the effects are more potent, making it ideal for overdosing or escaping from reality. Some of them are sold under different names such as &#8216;etomidate&#8217; and &#8216;zombie cigarettes,&#8217; and many of the children who buy them become dependent on them without knowing what is in them,&#8221; said another trafficker group member.</span></p>
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<p> (Another trafficking group official said, &#8220;In the Tokyo metropolitan area, the most common areas for etmidate use are the Toyoko area and the Shinjuku and Shibuya areas where young people gather, so we are always on the lookout there. That is why we are always on the lookout for them,&#8221; he told us.</p>
<p> The reason for the spread of the demon of &#8220;etomy dating&#8221; is that people are so caught up in the atmosphere of the city that they stop thinking for themselves. In Kabukicho, a teenage boy fell down the stairs of a building and died last October. According to the Shinjuku Police Department, he is believed to have jumped to his death. It is possible that he was in a state of overdose. Recently, there have been many cases like this that are clearly strange. I think there is no doubt that Casaguetomidate is involved.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Some of them started using it because they were invited by seniors and alumni in the Toyoko area, or because they were given it by the host community. Many of them find it hard to say no because it makes it hard to stay in Toyoko. Some of them mix it with drinks and cigarettes because it is an aphrodisiac with a little more etomi and narcotics,&#8221; said a trafficker group member.</span></p>
<p> New drug contamination is steadily spreading among young people.</p>
<figure id="attachment_460361" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-460361" style="width: 1096px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="d5872fb8"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/19dd3cb0cf8ea09fa0f76aa34c851ea6.png" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-460361" class="wp-caption-text"> Solid (four items on the right) and liquid. The shapes also vary, as if to take advantage of the young people&#8217;s gullibility.</figcaption></figure>
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 Kyodo News (1st photo)

 The arrest of a professional baseball player for the illegal drug "etomidate" is still fresh in people's minds. It is also known as "zombie tobacco," and it is spreading throughout Japan, especially among young people. The "Toyoko neighborhood" is at the forefront of this trend in Tokyo. We took a close look at the darkness of the new drug contamination.

The reality of &#8220;zombie cigarette pollution&#8221; spreading in the Toyoko area: &#8220;Mixing with alcohol to make an aphrodisiac&#8221; and &#8220;Ideal for mixing with stimulants.

The reality of “zombie cigarette pollution” spreading in the Toyoko area: “Mixing with alcohol to make an aphrodisiac” and “Ideal for mixing with stimulants.

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