Workers remain unprotected from ionizing radiation risks, as the Commission has yet to introduce a directive on safeguarding workers from these hazards.
Chuckling Under Fire: The Looming Restrictions on Laughing Gas in Germany
Get ready to twirl those cream-whippers one last time, folks! Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) indulges a bill to nationwide curb the sale of laughing gas, owing to its hazardous party-drug status and particularly to safeguard minors. The newly proposed regulations aim to hamper youths' acquisition, online trading, and purchases from self-service machines of laughing gas. The spotlight also casts on the restrictive measures for date-rape drugs like GHB.
Laughing Gas: No Joke Anymore!
No, laughing gas ain't all fun and games, as Warken's already stressed out. It's associated with a plethora of health risks, particularly for the younger crowd. Intensive use can lead to unconsciousness, and direct consumption from a cartridge has its pitfalls. It can cause frostbite due to its frigid temperatures down to -55 degrees Celsius, and lung tissue injuries due to the gas pressure.
Laughing gas, also known as nitrous oxide (N2O), has been making waves as a popular party drug in recent times. Consumers inhale the euphoria-inducing substance, which is used in medicine as a mild anesthetic, through balloons. Although a ban draft was floated by Warken's predecessor, Karl Lauterbach (SPD), it never took off. Some cities and states imposed their own regulations in response.
Casanovas, beware! Gamma-butyrolactone and 1,4-butanediol, known as date-rape drugs, are also on the radar. These chemicals can be added to drinks, rendering the victims dizzy after a few minutes, and making them susceptible to sexual offenses or robbery during their ensuing unconsciousness. The draft proposes a future "ban on handling" for these substances under the category of new psychoactive substances.
A Splash of Whipped Cream, Please!
Since these chemicals are readily used for purposes other than nefarious ones, exemptions to sales bans are in the cards. For laughing gas, cartridges with up to eight grams filling can cruise on the market, perfect for whipping up creamy delights. Ready-made whipped cream remains unscathed, too.
The draft heads to further internal discussion among the government and awaits cabinet and Bundestag approval. The new rules are slated to kick off three months after they're announced, giving merchants and machine operators time to adjust and implement age verification.
[Noteworthy Insights: In some German federal states, municipalities, and districts, bans on the sale of nitrous oxide to minors have already been implemented. A growing support for extending this ban nationwide exists. Whipped cream chargers containing nitrous oxide, within the culinary realm, may not be directly affected by a national ban on nitrous oxide for recreational use, assuming exemptions are in place like in other countries.]
- The health risks associated with laughing gas, particularly for young individuals, have led Federal Health Minister Nina Warken to introduce a bill aiming to regulate its sale nationwide, not only to safeguard minors but also due to its status as a party drug.
- The discussion on mental health is also extended to date-rape drugs like GHB, as the draft proposes a potential ban on handling these substances under new psychoactive substances, aiming to prevent their misuse.
