Lauterbach goes against popular teenage drug
The rush from consuming laughing gas is very short but can be intense - and harmful. In particular, young people are increasingly turning to this legally obtainable drug. The Federal Health Ministry aims to put an end to this. There are also demands for regulated drinking.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach reportedly proposed a legislative amendment to prevent the sale of laughing gas to minors and ban the production and possession of "KO drops." The "Rheinische Post" reported that in this amendment, restrictions on the production, trade, acquisition, and possession of laughing gas are planned. For children and adolescents, a fundamental sales and possession ban is reportedly planned for the future.
According to the report, the industrial, commercial, or scientific use of laughing gas as an "acknowledged application" will remain permitted, as long as the misuse of the substance as a recreational drug can be excluded. The background, according to the report, is that laughing gas is also used in industry, for example, for whipping cream, or in medicine and science.
The chemicals Gamma-butyrolactone and 1,4-Butanediol, which have been used for some time as so-called KO drops for sexual assaults and are considered a "rape drug," are also reportedly affected by the amendment. With the legislative amendment, they would therefore be banned. According to the "Rheinische Post," the legislative amendment is expected to be implemented after the summer break and could still come into force this year.
Lauterbach calls for ban on "accompanied drinking" for 14- to 16-year-olds
Laughing gas is being used increasingly as a party drug. It is legally available in Germany and is often inhaled from whipped cream canisters or balloons. Experts and experts warn that the risks are often underestimated. Negative effects include dizziness, nausea, and paralytic symptoms.
Meanwhile, Lauterbach also called for a ban on "accompanied drinking" for 14- to 16-year-olds. "From a health political perspective, there can be no two opinions on this matter. The so-called 'accompanied drinking' should be banned," he told the newspapers of the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. The presence of adults changes nothing about the harm alcohol causes to children.
In response to the increasing use of laughing gas as a party drug among young people, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach proposed a legislative amendment to restrict its sale and possession. Additionally, Lauterbach advocated for a ban on "accompanied drinking" for 14- to 16-year-olds, recognizing the detrimental effects of both drugs and alcohol on younger individuals.
