Jakarta Police Urge Regulations to Restrict Laughing Gas

February 2, 2026 | 04:33 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta Metropolitan Police is pushing for new regulations to restrict the circulation of nitrous oxide (N2O), commonly known as laughing gas. The misuse of N2O gas is deemed dangerous to the health of those who use it.

"It has a negative impact, specifically causing oxygen deprivation in the body and brain," said the Chief of Public Relations for the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Grand Commissioner Budi Hermanto, when meeting with journalists at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Headquarters on Monday, February 2, 2026.

Budi stated that, thus far, the circulation of N2O gas remains legal as it is a standard component of whipped cream used in the culinary industry. The police will only conduct raids or confiscations if the gas is misused as an inhalant for recreational purposes.

The Chief of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Commissioner General Suyudi Ario Seto, noted that there are currently no regulations prohibiting the circulation of N2O gas, allowing the product to be freely traded without supervision. "The product is sold freely," Suyudi told Tempo.

According to Suyudi, the government is currently assessing the impact of laughing gas misuse. The trend of misusing this substance is still relatively new, and no specific cases have yet been found in Indonesia.

However, Suyudi stated that there is a possibility of categorizing nitrous oxide as a narcotic, similar to the classification applied to etomidate in vape liquids. "There is a possibility of a prohibition on N2O gas," Suyudi added.

Read: BNN Highlights Rising Laughing Gas Abuse Among Teenagers

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