‘Not Criminalised, Cheap And Easily Available Drug’ The Ministry Of Health Issued A Warning Against ‘Laughing Gas’
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention is warning of the dangers of Ethyl Chloride spray, a low cost drug not yet criminalised in the UAE.
The drug, also known as laughing gas or ‘sniff’, is inhaled after spraying it on a piece of cloth which results in a burst of laughter or crying, followed by hallucination according to H.E. Dr. Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention’s Public Policy and Licensing.
Update: Dubai Police has not reported any complaints of use of the drug leading to addiction.
Students are warned of the addictive qualities of the drug
The drug is easy to obtain through various online portals and speciality stores and is gaining popularity with students due to the low cost of the product. Thus far the Ministry has contacted the Ministry of Education in both Abu Dhabi (ADEC) and Dubai (KHDA) and are working to provide preventative measures to decrease use of the product.
The ministry is warning against the misuse of the drug, particularly among young people between the ages of 12 and 16
Excessive use of the addictive substance may cause nerve paralysis and low blood pressure and potentially serious consequences.
