The use of nitrous oxide, sometimes known as laughing gas, is now prohibited in the Netherlands due to health concerns regarding the rising number of young people who use it.

The ban, which goes into effect in January, makes it unlawful to purchase, sell, or possess gas. The authorities claim that it is still permissible to utilise it in food production and medicine.

The government also anticipates that the prohibition will result in fewer drug-related auto accidents. Laughing gas has reportedly been a factor in 1,800 accidents in the Netherlands over the last three years, according to road safety watchdog TeamAlert.

According to Maartje Oosterink of TeamAlert, “almost two a day, data that really astonished us,” she told AD newspaper earlier this month.

The well-known legal high has been more popular among clubbers and festival goers in recent years, and it’s frequently combined with other drugs like ketamine or MDMA (ecstasy).

Most of the time, the gas is sold in little metal canisters, which are then poured into balloons before being breathed. The Trimbos Institute estimates that more than 37% of Dutch partygoers, predominantly young people, regularly consume laughing gas.

However, there are significant worries over how the depressant-like medicine affects the brain and how the body reacts. Regular heavy use might also result in a vitamin deficit, which can harm your nerves permanently and leave you paralysed.

As the government’s decision was made public, State Secretary for Health, Welfare, and Sport Maarten van Ooijen stated that the use of nitrous oxide for recreational purposes poses significant health hazards.

Dilan Yeşilgöz, the minister of justice, stated that the prohibition would allow the police to take prompt action if they discovered someone driving around with nitrous oxide gas canisters in their vehicle.

Beyond the Netherlands, worries about the drug’s rising popularity exist.

In England, it is the substance that 16 to 24 year olds abuse most frequently (behind cannabis).

Due to worries over its misuse, the UK Home Office faced calls this month to outlaw all sales of the gas to direct consumers.

Due to the fact that it is acceptable to legally purchase and sell it for the purpose of manufacturing whipped cream, it has become widely and easily accessible for recreational use.

In hospitals and dental offices, large canisters of nitrous oxide are frequently utilised to administer anaesthesia to patients.

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