Cartridge of nitrous oxide, also called laughing gas or nangs, which is used as an anaesthetic and whipped cream propellant, but can cause serious health problems if misused. Photo: AFP/ GARO
The health minister says he has sought advice on nitrous oxide, to see whether more needs to be done to address its recreational use.
Nitrous oxide has common medical and commercial uses, such as for pain relief or as a propellant to make whipped cream.
But it is also a popular recreational drug, commonly known as 'nangs'.
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Its medicinal use is regulated through the Medicines Act. It is also legal to sell canisters or 'chargers' for food preparation purposes, but selling for inhalation can lead to up to six months of jail time or a $40,000 fine.
However, Stuff recently reported vape shops in Christchurch were selling industrial-sized canisters of nitrous to recreational users.
Reti said he was concerned nitrous oxide was being used outside of its intended purposes, and has commissioned a briefing on what levers could be used.
He said one of the difficulties was that the responsibility would sit across several portfolios, primarily food safety, but Reti said he would look into what could be done from a health perspective.
"I don't think any of us are pleased with the use of nitrous oxide other than its intended purpose, which is in baking and cooking. To have it used elsewhere, and to have clinical complications of that, is not good."
Reti said he was concerned that canisters could be purchased from vape shops and online, given nitrous oxide's effects.
"Obviously altered consciousness, which is part of why people are taking nitrous oxide anyway, and then the implications that can come from that, obviously accidents and the things that happen when you have altered consciousness," he said.
"My understanding is there can be more longer-term neurological deficits as well with nitrous oxide, so it is something that does need some serious attention."
Minister for food safety Andrew Hoggard said nitrous oxide is currently permitted for use as a food additive in products like whipped cream, but he would ask his officials to provide further information and advice on any other uses.
The Green Party's drug law reform spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick urged the government to follow a health-based harm reduction approach, but was concerned the government may pursue a prohibitionist approach instead.
"I am incredibly concerned that a government that has consistently demonstrated that it's more focused on dogma and rhetoric than it is on meaningful harm reduction and data and evidence is now talking about a substance that it's pretty clear, based on all of the signs, it's not likely to follow that data and evidence on."
Swarbrick said the existing spectrum of approaches to drug harm were complete criminal prohibition on one extreme, and a commercial free-market at the other, with both extremes focused on "making a quick buck" without concern for communities.
"The way that we pull back from those extremities is into a space of sensible regulation," she said.