HIROSHIMA (TR) – Prosecutors have indicted Hiroshima Carp infielder Ryutaro Hazuki for using so-called “zombie cigarettes” last year, reports Nippon News Network (Feb. 17).
According to the indictment, on or around December 16, Hazuki, 25, heated a small amount of the designated drug etomidate, also known as “zombie cigarettes,” at his home in Naka Ward, Hiroshima City, and inhaled the vapor.
On Tuesday, the Hiroshima District Public Prosecutors Office indicted Hazuki for violating the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act.
Etomidate became a designated drug last May. It is a short-acting, intravenous anesthetic used for inducing general anesthesia. It is also known as “zombie cigarettes” because an overdose can cause convulsions in the arms and legs.
On January 28, the day after the Hazuki’s arrest, General Manager Kiyomi Suzuki suspended him from baseball activities.
Suzuki told reporters, “We will proceed steadily based on the facts. We will also discuss our next steps with the players’ association.”
