Exceptions apply for medical and technical purposes. Doctors may use the gas as a light anaesthetic. And private individuals still buy small cartridges filled with laughing gas, for example for whipped cream dispensers.
According to the ministry, the misuse of nitrous oxide as an intoxicant has increased significantly in recent years. Studies have shown that it is the most commonly used drug among school children. But nitrous oxide has “major health risks,” the ministry warned. The number of serious traffic accidents in which the driver inhaled laughing gas has also risen sharply.
Young people in particular inhale laughing gas with balloons. Most users report that they inhale two or three balloons in the evening. But researchers also report that some consumed the gas from dozens of balloons every night. The gas causes a brief high, but can cause nerve damage. Especially after large amounts, neurologists also found severe paralysis up to spinal cord injury.
Police and local authorities have been pushing for such a ban for years. The ban allows the police to intervene if they discover large gas bottles in cars.
(SDA)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
