Netherlands authorities decided to set Nitrous oxide a controlled substance under the Opium Act in the country to help curbing the growing use of the chemical compound known more commonly as the laughing gas.
The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport said in a statement that the substance will be added to the "List II" classification under the law, alongside drugs like hashish, diazepam, lorazepam and butabarbital.
“We can no longer accept the health risks to young people in particular," said the ministry's number two, State Secretary Paul Blokhuis.
The decision was resulted from an investigation made by the the ministry's team for monitoring new drugs, CAM. "The assessment by the CAM shows that the recreational use of laughing gas can be extremely harmful and can lead to serious health damage even with limited use. A 'balloon' is really not as innocent as it seems, that is becoming clear now," Blokhuis said referring to a the rubber balloons often used to ingest the drug.
48 cases of health complaints related to laughing gas were reported in 2017, a figure which rose slightly to 54 cases in 2018. But in the first six months of 2019, that figure was already at 67, with more "vulnerable, young and inexperienced users" partaking in the substance, the ministry said.
According to Nltimes.nl report, the increasing use of laughing gas was developing into a troubling issue in Rotterdam already in 2015. Utrecht introduced a plan to ban nitrous oxide use in five large areas as well as during festivals and public events, and Rotterdam enacted similar rulers. Amsterdam was also investigating how it could limit distribution and use of the drug.
The substance use was more common at drivers, as by July, there were over 950 traffic incidents involving the drug. Just last week, a 23-year-old motorist using laughing gas led police on a wild chase through Ede while he filmed himself with a smartphone, inhaling baloons filled with the drug during the entire ride.
A study published in the Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings said that the overuse of nitrous oxide can lead to a deficiency of vitamin B12 and neurological problems, while the ice cold cannisters can even cause severe skin burns.
"Unfortunately, the accessibility and low cost of whipped cream chargers have made nitrous oxide inhalation, or 'whippets,' increasingly popular among teenagers and adults alike," journal authors Dr. Lindsey Stockton, Dr. Cameron Simonsen, and Dr. Susan Seago wrote.
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