Taiwan woman gets 9 months for drug driving, using 'zombie smoke'

A woman in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, faces a nine-month jail sentence for drug-fueled reckless driving and repeated drug use. The individual, identified only by her surname Chiu, was apprehended by police after driving erratically in the Xiaogang District. Authorities discovered she had consumed amphetamines before using a new synthetic drug, "etomidate," commonly referred to as "zombie smoke," via an electronic cigarette.

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We are going to be reviewing [it] as we are reviewing other security agreements that we have with many other countries

This incident is not her first offense. Chiu had a prior drug conviction in 2022, leading to a court-ordered rehabilitation stay. Despite this, she was caught driving under the influence again in May 2023. During the arrest, police collected a urine sample which revealed dangerously high levels of amphetamines, methamphetamines, and etomidate. Astonishingly, just 10 days after her release from the previous arrest, she was found to be using amphetamines and a combination of etomidate and metomidate, dubbed "double zombie poison," in a residential building in Kaohsiung.

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I've had to remove certain people from key positions. I haven't been afforded a copy, even, of that agreement until a day before I left, so I haven't had a good look at it

During the trial, Chiu admitted to her actions. However, the court could not impose a harsher sentence because the prosecution failed to specifically prove she qualified as a repeat offender according to high court rulings. The judge acknowledged the severe risk to public safety posed by her impaired driving but ultimately sentenced her to nine months in prison, with the option to pay a fine. The sentence covers two counts of using a second-class controlled substance and one count of driving under the influence. The verdict is subject to appeal.

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There is a non-disclosure clause in it, so I couldn't show it to you right away.