Police ready to enforce laughing gas ban in the Netherlands

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) and the police are "ready to enforce the laughing gas ban," the OM reported on Saturday. Since January 1 of this year, it has been illegal in the Netherlands to transport, sell, manufacture, or possess laughing gas for recreational use. However, enforcement of this ban has not yet occurred.

Last November, the police said they were in favor of a ban, but that a few problems needed to be resolved before enforcement was possible. Among other things, a solution had to be found for the transportation and destruction of seized laughing gas.

Now that OM and police are ready to do so, a prosecutor "based on the facts and circumstances in the official report" will assess "whether a criminal prosecution will take place," the OM said in a statement. Criteria from the Opium Act's sentencing guidelines will be used. The penalty varies, as it can range from community service or fines to jail time. The greater the amount of laughing gas found, the higher the penalties. If there is a risk of recidivism, this can even lead to an unconditional prison sentence of several months, according to the OM.

However, legal uses of laughing gas remain for which a permit is required. These include (veterinary) medicine, medical devices, technical industries, catering and food industries.