By Kim Se-jeong
The government banned sales of nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, dubbing it a hallucinogen, Tuesday.
According to the Ministry of Environment, a government cabinet meeting agreed to revise the law to prevent the gas, which caused one death in April, from being abused.
With the move, which went into effect immediately, any use of the gas apart from medical procedures will be prohibited, and those who sell, buy, and inhale the gas without a permit can be fined up to 50 million won ($44,850) or sentenced to three years in prison.
Nitrous oxide is a colorless and sweet-tasting gas with a euphoric effect. Some of those who inhaled the gas described it as giving them an “out-of-body experience.” Doctors use it as a painkiller, tranquillizer and an anesthetic. It is also used to make whipped cream.
Other hallucinogens include butane gas, toluene and ethyl acetate.
Medical experts say that excessive gas inhalation can cause a variety of health problems, such as oxygen deprivation, mental impairment, vitamin B12 deficiency and fertility reduction. Some suggest that inhaling the gas can also cause dependence.
Nitrous oxide’s popularity in Korea is a recent trend, particularly among college students who inhale it from balloons ― people call them “happy balloons” ― with beers at parties. Each balloon costs only 5,000 won.
In April, a man in Suwon, south of Seoul, died after inhaling too much nitrous oxide. The police found 104 nitrous oxide capsules in his possession ― 17 of which had been used. The man also had his head covered with a black plastic bag when he was found, proof that he was using the gas at the time of his death.
The need for nitrous oxide regulation grew recently, but no law has been put in place to prohibit it. The man’s death, though, has accelerated efforts to do so.