Press
The CDU/CSU parliamentary group is campaigning for a ban on the sale of laughing gas to minors. Politicians and doctors are concerned about the trendy drug.
Berlin – The Union is calling for a ban on the sale of the Party drug laughing gas to minors“Medical anesthetics have no place in children and young people,” said the health policy spokesman of the Union parliamentary group, Tino Sorge (CDU), to the Editorial Network Germany on Wednesday (May 22). The background to this is increasing cases of abuse of the narcotic in the party scene and in so-called challenges on the social media platform TikTok, as well as its easy availability in kiosks and supermarkets, for example.
The risk of psychological dependence is considerable, and in extreme cases it can lead to fainting, paralysis and heart problems, stressed CDU politician Sorge. “The warnings from doctors and police circles are clear. That is why legal regulations should be put in place quickly to prevent the use of laughing gas as a party drug and its sale to minors,” he warned.
General Practitioners’ Association agrees with CDU/CSU and calls for stricter regulation of nitrous oxide
Family doctors are also calling for action, which discourage consumption by minors. “The sale of laughing gas should be regulated much more strictly, as is already the case in other European countries,” said the federal chairwoman of the General Practitioners Association, Nicola Buhlinger-Göpfarth, to the Editorial Network Germany. However, reliable consumption figures have so far been missing for Germany. Nevertheless, the federal chairwoman reiterated: “The impression is very clear that we are dealing with a growing problem,” she warned.
Nitrous oxide is legally available in Germany and is often inhaled from cream cartridges or balloons. Experts warn that the risks are often underestimated. Negative consequences include dizziness, nausea and paralysis. Excessive consumption can also damage the central nervous system.
Health Minister Lauterbach is also calling for stricter regulation of the laughing gas drug
The discussion was sparked by snack machines in several German cities that offer small cans of laughing gas for sale. In Germany, the sale of the drug is not currently restricted; the substance is not covered by the Narcotics Act (BtMG) or the Act on the Restriction of Psychoactive Substances (NpSG). In Great Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland, for example, the sale of laughing gas is prohibited with a few exceptions and is generally prohibited to minors.
In addition to the Union, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) also spoke out in favor of a ban on the substance. “I think it is unacceptable that laughing gas is sold in vending machines or so-called late-night shops, especially not to children and young people,” said the minister on Wednesday (May 22) in Berlin. Lauterbach further warned: “The rapid spread among children and young people must be a concern for all of us. There is a significant health risk, and that is no small matter.” (afp/sischr)
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