□ Our reporter Fan Tianjiao
□ Our intern Tang Yuxin
□ Sun Chunwang, correspondent of this newspaper
In recent years, "laughing gas" has quietly appeared in some entertainment venues and has become a substitute for drugs, and smoking "laughing gas" has even become a so-called "fashion" for some young people.
Driven by huge profits, some criminals illegally sell "laughing gas" and form a black industrial chain, which seriously endangers social security.
Since the beginning of this year, the police in Susong County, Anhui Province have destroyed a total of 10 gangs that illegally sold "laughing gas", arrested 32 suspects, and seized more than 460 cans of various "laughing gas".
Profiteering drives desperate risk
"Selling a large can of 'laughing gas' can easily earn more than 2,000 yuan. Driven by such high profits, many people take risks." Zhang Handing, chief of the anti-drug brigade of Susong County Public Security Bureau, said.
In January of this year, the anti-drug brigade of Susong County Public Security Bureau investigated the case of Chu and Yu illegally selling "laughing gas" and found that they had sold a total of 80 large-sized "laughing gas" cans in just 4 months. Illegal profiteering of more than 200,000 yuan.
In the "Hundred Days Action" to carry out the summer security crackdown and rectification, the anti-drug brigade destroyed 6 illegal "laughing gas" gangs in one fell swoop, arrested 17 suspects, and seized 106 various "laughing gas" canisters.
The chemical name of "laughing gas" is nitrous oxide. It is a colorless and sweet gas. It was originally used as analgesics, food additives, chemical raw materials and other combustion aids. However, in recent years, "laughing gas" has gradually become an "addiction". "Gentlemen" alternatives to drug use, and prices have skyrocketed.
According to the police handling the case, the illegal trafficking of "laughing gas" is highly concealed.
Judging from the cases investigated and handled by the Susong County Public Security Bureau in recent years, these criminal suspects often buy large-scale "laughing gas" canisters from other places, store them in a hidden place, and then pack them in more than a dozen easy-to-carry containers. A small can for sale.
After contacting the buyer by phone or WeChat, the "laughing gas" will be delivered to the remote location designated by the buyer, and the checkout method is WeChat transfer or cash transaction.
As the public security organs in various places continue to increase the crackdown on "laughing gas" crimes, these illegal operators have been changing their ways of committing crimes in an attempt to increase the difficulty of verification by the public security organs.
"In my country, 'laughing gas' falls under the management scope of the "Regulations on the Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals", and is not included in the scope of control of psychotropic drugs or narcotic drugs. Therefore, when the public security organs handle 'laughing gas' cases, they can only To deal with illegal business operations, the standard for filing an illegal business case is 'the amount of illegal business operation is more than 50,000 yuan, or the amount of illegal income is more than 10,000 yuan.
Serious harm and repeated prohibitions
It is understood that although "laughing gas" is not physically addictive, it is easy to be psychologically addicted.
Inhaling "laughing gas" can cause vitamin B deficiency in the human body, which in turn affects the nerves. In severe cases, it can lead to disability or direct death.
Smoking "laughing gas" can also cause hallucinations, especially the out-of-control behavior caused by a large amount of smoking, which can easily lead to criminal acts such as picking quarrels and provoking trouble and dangerous driving, which seriously endangers social security.
In June 2021, a man from Huangmei, Hubei and two women smoked "laughing gas" in a car, and the car fell into a pond while driving to the territory of Zhoutou Township, Susong County, killing the man.
In May of this year, Susong Ji Chai drove with Zhu, Dong, Pan and other 5 people to inhale "laughing gas" in the car. When driving to Zhenxing Avenue in the county's urban area, it rear-ended a large truck, causing 5 people in the car. Everyone was injured to varying degrees.
Such cases occur from time to time across the country.
Qi Chao said that "laughing gas" is very harmful, but it does not belong to drug control. Some businesses on the Internet openly sell "laughing gas" in the name of "airbags".
In December 2017, the public security department of Yunhe County, Zhejiang Province notified that a suspected illegal operation of "laughing gas" was transferred for prosecution, which was the first of its kind in the country to crack down on "laughing gas" crimes.
The anti-drug department of Susong County Public Security Bureau has followed closely. Since 2018, a total of 33 cases of suspected illegal operation of "laughing gas" have been handled, and more than 60 suspects have been arrested.
However, due to the low production cost and high sales profit of "laughing gas", illegal and criminal activities such as "laughing gas" are still repeatedly banned everywhere.
Combining attack and defense with comprehensive management
Zhang Handing believes that in view of the great harm of "laughing gas", the public security organs should follow a "zero tolerance" attitude, maintain a high-pressure situation to crack down on "laughing gas" illegal and criminal activities, and regularly conduct police investigations and clues on "laughing gas". Parallel analysis, starting from the involved areas, places, time periods, personnel and other factors, study and determine the overall situation, development trend and work focus of the abuse of "laughing gas" in the region, conduct careful management, and extend the line to identify the structure of criminal gangs, The means of committing crimes and the characteristics of activities, and strive to achieve a full chain attack.
It is necessary to strengthen the investigation of entertainment venues, hotels, rental houses and other places, severely punish the behavior of gathering people to inhale "laughing gas", and clean up the social atmosphere.
It is necessary to strengthen the publicity and guidance of public opinion, make full use of various media to widely publicize the national regulatory policy and the harm of "laughing gas", improve the people's ability to distinguish and self-prevention awareness, and let the general public, especially young people, take the initiative to refuse to smoke "laughing gas", and guide the masses Participate in mass prevention and treatment, and form a good atmosphere for consciously resisting "laughing gas".
It is necessary to carry out key publicity for the majority of young people and school students, promote the incorporation of "laughing gas" into the existing drug prevention education framework, and carry out publicity and education activities on the harm of "laughing gas" in a way that is easy for young people to accept, so as to further improve young people's ability to identify and prevent Awareness, from the source to prevent the occurrence of "laughing gas" problems.
It is necessary to carry out legal education for practitioners in the production, operation, storage, transportation, and use of "laughing gas", publicize national laws and regulations, and report the harm to human health and the impact on social stability of smoking and abusing "laughing gas". The initiative and consciousness of practitioners in the management of "laughing gas" production and use.
"Market supervision departments, emergency departments, health and health departments, and public security and law enforcement departments should give full play to their functional advantages, strengthen cooperation and cooperation, establish a long-term working mechanism for 'laughing gas' governance, and reduce the spread and abuse of 'laughing gas' from the source. Avoid and prevent 'hidden swords in laughter'." Zhang Handing suggested.
(Rule of Law Daily)