Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, has been listed in Taiwan as a controlled substance, meaning the regulations governing its production, importation, sale, use and storage have been tightened, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said yesterday.
The EPA yesterday listed laughing gas as the first non-toxic chemical regulated under the Toxic Chemical Substances Control Act (毒性化學物質管理法), Toxic and Chemical Substances Bureau Director-General Hsieh Yein-rui (謝燕儒) said.
While nitrous oxide is used in several industries, including the semiconductor manufacturing and food sectors, its unregulated use for recreational purposes has increased in the past few months, the EPA told a news conference in Taipei.
Photo: CNA
For example, the number of cases in which laughing gas was abused for recreational purposes in Taoyuan jumped from 134 last year to 455 in the first seven months of this year, police data showed.
Unlicensed operators involved in the supply and use of controlled chemicals are subject to a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 (US$1,037 to US$10,372), while in cases where unlicensed use of the chemical results in death, the penalty is seven years to life in prison and a fine of up to NT$10 million, Hsieh said, citing the act.
If it is determined that illegal use of the chemical resulted in harm to other people’s health, a person found to have contravened the act faces a prison sentence of six months to 10 years, and a fine of NT$1 million to NT$5 million, he said.
Laughing gas was previously covered under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act (藥事法).
Manufacturers of the chemical are now required to record each transaction online and submit a monthly report to the government on those transactions, while unlicensed producers, sellers, importers and users have until May 1 next year to obtain permits, Hsieh said.
The EPA, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the police next month are to launch an effort to tackle the growing misuse of the chemical, he said.
The effort would focus on stopping illegal online sales of laughing gas and ensuring that it is properly labeled when sold legally, Hsieh said.
As of Wednesday last week, the EPA had carried out inspections of six laughing gas producers and more than 150 companies had submitted transaction records, he said.
As part of the efforts to deter recreational use of laughing gas, the government would require producers to add sulfur dioxide, which has a pungent odor, to orders for some customers, depending on proposed use, the EPA said.
Recreational use of laughing gas produces a feeling of euphoria, the EPA said.
Side effects include nausea and vomiting, as well as vitamin B-12 deficiency with long-term use, which could lead to nerve damage, it said.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was sentenced to six months in prison, commutable to a fine, by the New Taipei District Court today for contravening the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法) in a case linked to an alleged draft-dodging scheme. Wang allegedly paid NT$3.6 million (US$114,380) to an illegal group to help him evade mandatory military service through falsified medical documents, prosecutors said. He transferred the funds to Chen Chih-ming (陳志明), the alleged mastermind of a draft-evasion ring, although he lost contact with him as he was already in detention on fraud charges, they said. Chen is accused of helping a
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
The eastern extension of the Taipei MRT Red Line could begin operations as early as late June, the Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems said yesterday. Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said it is considering offering one month of free rides on the new section to mark its opening. Construction progress on the 1.4km extension, which is to run from the current terminal Xiangshan Station to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, was 90.6 percent complete by the end of last month, the department said in a report to the Taipei City Council's Transportation Committee. While construction began in October 2016 with an
NON-RED SUPPLY: Boosting the nation’s drone industry is becoming increasingly urgent as China’s UAV dominance could become an issue in a crisis, an analyst said Taiwan’s drone exports to Europe grew 41.7-fold from 2024 to last year, with demand from Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression the most likely driver of growth, a study showed. The Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) in a statement on Wednesday said it found that many of Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) sales were from Poland and the Czech Republic. These countries likely transferred the drones to Ukraine to aid it in its fight against the Russian invasion that started in 2022, it said. Despite the gains, Taiwan is not the dominant drone exporter to these markets, ranking second and fourth
RSS