Laughing gas is being sold widely on social networks.
(Baonghean.vn) - Distilling N20 gas is quite easy, while the administrative penalty is still low, so many people still secretly produce and trade laughing gas. To buy laughing gas, just go to social networking sites.
From August 2018 to now, Nghe An police force has discovered and handled 12 cases, 15 subjects with acts of producing, storing, buying and selling laughing gas in localities such as Vinh city, Dien Chau, Cua Lo town. Police force has seized 1,348 kg of N gas20, thousands of balls.
Most of the cases discovered and handled by the authorities are in bars and karaoke bars. However, buying laughing gas for use is not difficult because on social networks, many sites openly sell laughing gas. When customers have a need, the seller will arrange a transaction in border areas or in deserted places.
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| Laughing gas is being sold openly on social networks. Photo: |
Faced with the harmful effects of laughing gas, on December 24, 2018, the Director of Nghe An Police issued an official dispatch directing the police of units and localities to use professional measures to strengthen inspection, prevention, detection and handling of cases of production, trading and use of laughing gas. In addition, coordinate with functional agencies and local authorities to propagate to people, especially young people, about the dangerous harmful effects of laughing gas.
According to Major Nguyen Hai Khiem - Head of Legal and Administrative Reform Team, Justice - Staff Department of Nghe An Provincial Police, the N20 injected into laughing balloons is not a drug or a precursor to a drug and is not covered by the convention on the control of narcotic substances. However, N gas20 is a hazardous chemical in the list of chemicals restricted from production and trading in the industrial sector.
“N gas20 is not a drug but it has addictive properties and harmful effects similar to drugs. People who use laughing gas a few times will start to feel addicted and want to continue using it. When they use it a lot, they will feel that it is not enough and will switch to using stronger drugs,” said Major Nguyen Hai Khiem.
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| In bars, it is not difficult to see young men and women using laughing gas. Photo: NH |
Due to N gas20 is easy to distill and process, so many people take advantage of it to produce this gas. Each laughing balloon after being filled with N gas20 will be sold for 50-80 thousand VND. Each N gas cylinder20 will pump about 170 laughing balloons, so the profit that laughing balloon sellers earn is huge.
Nowadays, due to N gas20 is not a drug or drug precursor, so the handling of establishments producing and trading laughing gas for violations of trading in N gas20 does not have a license and register for a conditional business line. However, the production, sale and use of laughing gas are widespread, but inspection, detection and handling are difficult, and the effectiveness of prevention and combat work is limited.
“Legal regulations and sanctions for violations by establishments and individuals trading in N gas2"The case is not clear, only administrative sanctions, the level of sanctions is still light and not deterrent. In addition, the subjects of illegal business, storage and use of laughing gas have changed their method of operation, consumption in bars, nightclubs, even houses... to cope with inspections by authorities," said Major Nguyen Hai Khiem.
