No joke: Dutch to ban the sale of laughing gas for recreational use
It is as yet unclear when a ban will come into effect and how it will be regulated
Monday, December 9, 2019
The Dutch government is planning to ban the sale of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, for recreational use. The decision follows several warnings about the impact of excessive use of the gas on health, which has been described in a new report by drugs assessment commission CAM as ‘average to large’.Junior health minister Paul Blokhuis plans to have the gas included in the opium law B list alongside cannabis and qat. Users will not face criminal charges but possession, trade, production and import of B list drugs are illegal. (See also: D66 plans to torpedo laughing gas ban, hopes for VVD support | Why Denmark wants to ban under-18s from buying laughing gas)