Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1503368
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 JULY 2023 NEWS Police want law banning sale of laughing gas on the streets MATTHEW FARRUGIA POLICE are asking for legis- lation to prohibit the sale of nitrous oxide on the streets as they tackle the relatively new phenomenon taking Paceville by storm. A spokesperson for the police force said a person involved in the sale of laughing gas in Pace- ville was stopped before a Mal- taToday investigation revealed the extent of audacious drug trafficking in the entertainment mecca. Nitrous oxide, known popular- ly as laughing gas, is not illegal but an undercover MaltaToday journalist was offered all sorts of drugs when enquiring about the gas one evening in Paceville. Action against a person in- volved in the sale of laughing gas in Paceville was taken "way before the article was issued by MaltaToday", a police spokes- person said. Police acted against a sole ven- dor who was known to loiter around nightclubs with a bicy- cle and supermarket trolley be- ing used as a small kiosk, where he openly sold laughing gas. "The sole street vendor was ordered more than once, prior to the article, to move out of Paceville on grounds of pub- lic order - as there are no laws that regulate nitrous oxide," the spokesperson said. The vendor did not obey police instructions and according to the spokesper- son, during the week before the MaltaToday report was pub- lished, the police took the nec- essary action. "The police had already seized his belongings, particularly his bicycle that was being used as a 'small kiosk', and charges were issued," the spokesperson said. The police have now asked for a prohibition of the sale of ni- trous oxide on the streets. "The police force has been pro-active in this situation and has requested meetings with lo- cal authorities, to formulate an ad hoc legal framework to ban nitrous oxide from being sold on the streets since there are no laws that regulate this gas," the spokesperson said. He added that the Maltese police is in contact with for- eign counterparts to seek more information on how they are tackling this situation in their respective countries. Responding to questions about the apparent lack of police pres- ence in Paceville, the spokes- person said this has increased "during the past months". Patrols are conducted for crime prevention and engage- ment with the community, with officers from the districts, RIU, mounted section, and K9 sec- tion deployed. Meanwhile, responding to parliamentary questions on the matter by Opposition MPs Joe Giglio and Albert Buttigieg last week, Home Affairs Minis- ter Byron Camilleri said police action in Paceville has resulted in the arrest and charging of four people who were traffick- ing drugs, while 10 others were found to be in possession of narcotics with intent to supply. Low quality drugs warning Karen Mamo, a drug-poli- cy researcher specialising in harm-reduction, said "drugs have been very accessible for a long time," citing drug dealers' use of technology and social media in recent years. However, Mamo noted that drug traffickers approaching people in Paceville is a new phenomenon, warning that narcotics sold in this way on the streets tend to be of very low quality, and thus more dangerous to users. Despite its nuance, she said that such tactics during Pace- ville's peak season are predict- able, as at the end of the day, drug traffickers are a form of business, and as such, they change strategies during peak season. Laughing gas's popularity fades in and out Meanwhile, Mamo also com- mented on the use of nitrous oxide, explaining that the substance has been used for more that 200 years, although its popularity fades in and out throughout the years. She stated that, as is the case with other substances, one must be careful if they decide to make use of it. Therefore, Mamo explains that continuous use of the drug increases its risks, while saying that precautions should always be taken if one chooses to use the drug. She warned against consum- ing nitrous oxide directly from canisters, warning against se- rious risks to one's skin, as well as warning against mixing drugs such as nitrous oxide with alcohol. Paceville laughing gas street vendor stopped by police over lack of trade permit as drug researcher warns that narcotics sold on the streets tend to be of very low quality Laughing gas is sold in balloons on the streets of Paceville to revellers seeking a quick high. The gas, nitrous oxide, is not illegal but the street vendors also sell an array of illegal drugs. Police now want a ban on the sale of nitrous oxide on the streets. Drug policy researcher Karen Mamo