Police, Prosecutor not yet enforcing laughing gas ban

Despite a massive political push to get laughing gas banned by 1 January 2023, the police and Public Prosecution Service (OM) are not yet enforcing the ban, De Telegraaf reports from an internal OM and police document. Using nitrous oxide as a recreational drug will go unpunished until at least July, according to the newspaper.

The document states that the OM and police need time for “IT adjustments and changes to work agreements” before they can start enforcing. They expect to have that in order by July.

The delayed enforcement is a setback for police officers and parliamentarians who pushed hard to get the ban implemented on January 1. According to the police, laughing gas use caused dozens of deaths and serious injuries over the past years.

VVD parliamentarian Ingrid Michon demanded an explanation from Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius of Justice and Security. “The VVD has fought for years to ban laughing gas. And now that it is finally here, enforcement is not in order. That is really frustrating,” the MP said to De Telgraaf.