Germany plans to ban laughing gas for young people
The sale of nitrous oxide (N2O) as a party drug is to be restricted in Germany, primarily to protect young people, according to a draft bill introduced by Federal Health Minister Nina Warken on Friday.
The measure aims to ban the purchase and possession of the chemical, also known as laughing gas, by children and young people.
Online sales and purchases from self-service vending machines are to be prohibited across the board.
Warken had already made it clear that laughing gas is "not harmless fun" but poses high health risks, especially for children and young people. "Intensive acute consumption can lead to unconsciousness," according to the draft bill, which has been made available to dpa.
Direct consumption from a cartridge can cause frostbite due to cooling to minus 55 degrees Celsius and lung tissue damage due to gas pressure.
Nitrous oxide has been gaining popularity as a party drug for several years. Consumers inhale the euphoric substance via balloons. The chemical compound is used in medicine as a mild anaesthetic for anxiety and pain.
The chemicals gamma-butyrolactone and 1.4-butanediol are also being targeted. They are known as "date rape" drugs that can be added to drinks and used by perpetrators to commit sexual offences or rob their victims.
Exceptions to the sales ban are planned because the chemicals are widely used for other purposes. In the case of nitrous oxide, cartridges with a capacity of up to 8 grams will be allowed to remain on the market for use in whipped cream, for example.
The draft will now go through further internal government consultations and must then be approved by the Cabinet and the Bundestag, the German parliament.
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