Recommendation paper: preventing the misuse of nitrous oxide

Our research has shown that Member States are mostly concerned about the negative effects on public health, rather than about fears of an increase in crime due to the consumption of the gas. We therefore recommend focusing on measures to counter the visibility and availability of nitrous oxide, keeping in mind that a thorough risk assessment should be carried out before imposing far-reaching interventions.

During the Croatian Presidency, the European Crime Prevention Network focused on the prevention of crime relating to partydrugs. In the past few years, the recreational use of nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas or hippie crack, has become popular during music festivals and at party destinations in the Republic of Croatia. Since nitrous oxide is a substance with a number of legitimate uses in medicine and food industry, it can easily be bought and prohibiting unlawful sales is a difficult task. The Croatian Presidency has therefore asked the EUCPN to formulate recommendations that may contribute to the prevention of nitrous oxide misuse.