Analysis of the Characteristics of 51 Etomidate-related Criminal Cases in a Region of South China After Its Formal Scheduling as a Controlled Substance
10.11714/jsysu.med.YX20260034
- VernacularTitle:依托咪酯列管后华南某地区51例相关犯罪案件的特征分析
- Author:
Lei YAO
1
;
Xiaoguang WANG
1
;
Shuquan ZHAO
1
;
Hu ZHAO
1
Author Information
1. Faculty of Forensic Medicine，Zhongshan School of Medicine，Sun Yat-sen University，Guangzhou 510080，China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
etomidate;
e-cigarettes;
forensic toxicology;
criminal case;
characteristics analysis
- From:
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences)
2026;47(3):459-467
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
ObjectiveTo characterize the features of etomidate-related criminal cases in Guangxi after its formal scheduling as a controlled substance in China. MethodsWe collected judicial documents of etomidate-related criminal cases in Guangxi， published on China Judgments Online from October 2023 to July 2025. Demographic， criminological， and forensic toxicological characteristics were extracted. We analyzed the differences in demographic characteristics between the offenders and the baseline of the general population in Guangxi， and examined the associations of age， educational attainment， prior criminal conviction， and employment status with offense types. ResultsA total of 51 adjudicated cases were included， involving 174 individuals. The offenders were predominantly male， young adults， with low educational attainment， prior criminal convictions， and unemployed status. Statistically significant differences were observed between the offenders and the baseline of the general population in Guangxi across four dimensions： gender， age， educational attainment， and employment status （all P values＜0.01）. The primary offense types were the crime of providing shelter for others to use drugs and drug trafficking offenses. The majority of cases involved joint offenses committed by multiple perpetrators， with e-cigarettes and related products as the main drug delivery vehicles. Forensic toxicological testing confirmed concurrent polydrug use of etomidate and ketamine among the involved individuals. Prior criminal conviction status was statistically associated with the choice of offense type （Fisher's P = 0.006）. Offenders with prior convictions predominantly committed single-type offenses， while those without prior convictions accounted for a significantly higher proportion of multiple concurrent offenses relative to the former group. ConclusionAfter the scheduling of etomidate， the offender population in etomidate-related criminal cases in Guangxi is characterized by low educational attainment， low employment rate， and high prevalence of prior criminal convictions. The offenses exhibited covert modus operandi， group-based offending patterns， and a growing trend of polydrug use. We recommend strengthening the monitoring of high-risk populations and upgrading the technical system of forensic toxicological testing to address the challenges posed by emerging illicit drugs.
