2023-12-15 07:30:00
Until now used for medical purposes, among other things for its anesthetic and analgesic functions, as well as in cooking in whipped cream siphons, nitrous oxide has been diverted, in recent years, from its primary function. Now, more and more young and old people are using nitrous oxide canisters to get high, their contents offering euphoric effects to those who breathe them.
With environmental consequences (canisters are often abandoned on the streets) but also health consequences, the inhalation of nitrous oxide can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting and even potential brain damage, etc.
Faced with the explosion of this phenomenon, politicians have tackled the problem head on. By first banning the sale of this laughing gas to minors last February.
And now, the ban on the sale of laughing gas will now be extended to the entire population. The Council of Ministers must in fact act this Friday on the proposed royal decree, co-submitted, among others, by the Ministers of the Interior Annelies Verlinden, of Mobility Georges Gilkinet and of Justice (then Vincent Van Quickenborne).
Laughing gas can in fact cause serious road safety problems, as drivers consuming it are, under the euphoric effect, no longer in control of their vehicles. “Laughing gas is a very fast-acting intoxicant which, when used in traffic, has an effect similar to that of alcohol on driver behavior,” reads the note for the attention of the council of ministers that we were able to obtain. Its effect is short-lived and addiction occurs more quickly, so the user often increases the dose. This in turn causes (permanent) damage to the body, which can lead to medical problems. Health care then faces a heavier burden, which might be avoided. The use of laughing gas can also lead to incapacity for work, which has an impact on social security and the economy. This substance is also problematic for the environment.”
Only the sale of nitrous oxide for culinary and medical purposes will still be authorized. “Import, export, transit, manufacture, conservation, i.e. storage under the required conditions, labeling, transport, holding, brokering, sale and offering for sale, prescription, delivery or acquisition, for payment or free of charge, both physically and online, of nitrous oxide are prohibited,” specifies the draft royal decree which must be validated this Friday. It specifies that there will be no infringement when the acts are committed when “the product is intended for medical or technical purposes or to be used as a food additive, whatever the quantity.”
It is up to the seller to ensure this. In the event of transgression, the offenses will be punished by the penalties provided for by the law of February 24, 1921 concerning the trafficking of poisonous, soporific, narcotic, psychotropic, disinfectant or antiseptic substances. Namely penalties ranging from fines to prison sentences in the event of repeat offenses.
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