TYUMEN, October 3 (Itar-Tass) —— Laughing gas will soon be put on the list of substances under special control as a potential narcotic drug, the deputy director of the federal drug control service FSKN, Nikolai Tsvetkov, said on Wednesday.
Tsvetkov, who is also chief of staff of the state anti-narcotic committee, is in Tyumen, where he is attending an inter-regional seminar on drug addiction.
He said the use of nitrous oxide, more commonly known as laughing gas, in the capacity of a narcotic drug has proved utter surprise for the drug control agencies.
“It is not on the list of substances that can be considered widely spread, in contrast to the other narcotic drugs. However, prompt detective and police measures against this ill have been taken already,” he said.
“We do our best to forestall the use of any narcotic substances. About 40-45 previously unknown formulas get on the black market every year. To put such a chemical agent on the list of those under special control the proper tests will have to be carried out first to prove its narcotic effects and to initiate the necessary legal procedures,” he said.