A laughing gascylinder was found with the 21-year-old driver who crashed against a house in Beek en Donk on Monday. Shortly before that, an abandoned car has also been found in the neighborhood with laughing gascylinders. Although the total use of laughing gas since the prohibition decreased in 2023, laughing gas remains a risk in traffic.
From January 1, 2023, it is forbidden to transport, sell, produce or own laughing gas for recreational use within the Netherlands. The total use of laughing gas among young people between the ages of 18 and 25 has decreased since 2023 from 11 to 4 percent, according to figures from the Novadic-Kentron rehab clinic.
Yet young users of Lachgas are still in traffic. This also sees prevention worker Alex van Dongen from Novadic-Kentron. “I ask users: do you sometimes drive under the influence of laughing gas? Often they indicate:” Yes, I did indeed, “says Van Dongen.
Many users still live at home and therefore use laughing gas in their car. “And you’re not going to use laughing gas with your parents on the couch,” he explains. “So then they will stand in parking spaces with the laughing gas and use together.”
Boundaries
Although they initially do not intend to drive again, that happens regularly. “If they have used, the inhibitions go away and there is group pressure. So: you go to the gas station for a moment, don’t be so faint.”
The boundaries fade through the combination of group pressure and the intoxication of the laughing gas. “They have the idea: it doesn’t really matter to me anymore. Then they will do things they wouldn’t do soberly.” It is similar to being drunk. “They know, but once they are under the influence, they will no longer think about it.”
Drift away
Another danger is the underestimation of the effect. Many users think that the operation of laughing gas is already gone after a few seconds or minutes. “But the poor concentration, coordination and delayed reaction speed last longer,” warns Van Dongen. “They sometimes forget that for a moment, but that allows you to get rid of the road. You sometimes see them literally drifting away in a parking lot. Then it is not surprising that these kinds of accidents happen.”
Since the prohibition on laughing gas at the beginning of 2023, the number of users has fallen and with it the number of traffic incidents in which laughing gas plays a role. Yet the problem has still not disappeared. “But you always keep a” hard core of users who are not yet rid of it, “says Van Dongen.