An increasing consumption of nitrous oxide in Dutch youth has become the country’s minister of health to intervene.
The Dutch government will put the nitrous oxide on the “black list” and equate the product with other narcotic substances.
It happens as a reaction to a sharp increase among Dutch young people, who use nitrous oxide as an intoxicant.
Recreational use of nitrous oxide has been a drug problem, and therefore is opiumsloven the right way to tackle it, says the Dutch health minister Paul Blokhuis in a statement.
It will continue to be legal for dentists to use nitrous oxide as a pain reliever, like the Dutch government will not make it illegal to use the product as flødeskumspatron.
By the inhalation of nitrous oxide from the metalpatroner, one obtains a intoxication, which lasts about 30 seconds. However, according to the minister of health can nitrous oxide be dangerous, since users can faint, you can lose control of his limbs, and the substance can cause brain damage.
– We can not accept the risks associated with nitrous oxide, which especially the young user, said Blokhuis.
at Home want a broad political majority to limit the use of nitrous oxide.
Parties across the middle will put a number of restrictions on who can buy lattergaspatroner, and where they can be purchased.
– There are no tools, that we as the government will refuse at the present time. We can see that the problem with nitrous oxide is growing. Therefore, action must be taken, said health minister Magnus Heunicke (S) 26. november to DR.
Giftlinjen have previously stated, experiencing an increase of calls from danes who are calling in with negative side effects such as tingling in the hands and feet or memory problems after massive intake of nitrous oxide.
In a large Danish study from autumn 2017 has 70.573 young people aged 12-25 years the answer to questions about, among other things the use of lattergaspatroner.
In all, over seven percent of the group answered that they have tried nitrous oxide as an intoxicant.
Among young people under the age of 18 years, to 4.6 percent answer that they have tried nitrous oxide. Among those over the age of 18 years is the 15,3 percent.
/ritzau/Reuters