OSAKA - Authorities in Kyoto and Osaka have arrested three men in separate drug cases involving so-called zombie cigarettes containing the designated drug etomidate, as investigators step up efforts against the illegal trade in the Kansai region. Police said the suspects have told investigators that they were introduced to the smuggling operation by an acquaintance and brought the drug into Japan. So-called zombie cigarettes are not conventional cigarettes and may contain no tobacco. Japan subsequently designated etomidate as a designated drug under the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act, with restrictions taking effect on May 26, 2025. The latest arrests in Kansai indicate that authorities are continuing to encounter etomidate-containing vaping products outside the areas where the problem was first identified.