Overview

• Health Minister Nina Warken is drafting a federal law to prohibit nitrous oxide sales to minors and restrict vending machine and mail-order distribution.
• Hamburg has already banned nitrous oxide sales to minors as of January 2025, with fines up to €5,000 for violations.
• Improper disposal of nitrous oxide cartridges caused over ten explosions in Hamburg's waste facilities last year, resulting in millions of euros in damages.
• The Stadtreinigung Hamburg launched the 'Schluss mit lustig!' campaign to promote safe disposal and raise public awareness of the issue.
• The Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung and European health authorities warn of severe health risks, including neurological damage and fatalities, linked to nitrous oxide misuse.