„Deputies from the PG of the “BSP for Bulgaria” we submitted a proposal to the National Assembly to entrust the Council of Ministers with the inclusion of nitrous oxide /paradise basin/ in the lists of narcotic substances, according to Art. 3, paragraph 2 of the Law on the Control of Narcotic Substances and Precursors“.
This was stated by the People's Representative from the “BSP for Bulgaria” Cornelia Ninova during a hearing in the parliament in connection with the distribution and use of paradise gas by minors.
„We are holding a hearing on an extremely important issue for our children – it was heard that there is a need for a change in the law, that if it has loopholes, it needs to be supplemented. Let me remind you that the current law was adopted in 2022 on the last day of the 47th National Assembly at my insistence as Deputy Prime Minister at the time and introduced by our parliamentary group. Then it was also the first case of poisoning of a child with paradise gas“, Ninova recalled and emphasized:
“The current regulation prohibits the sale of kerosene and its fillers, including online, to persons under 18 years of age in the territory of kindergartens, schools, student dormitories, medical institutions, at sports events organized for students, at public events, organized for children and students, in closed public places, in open public places, with the exception of medical purposes and the food industry", said Kornelia Ninova.
“Complete ban on sale. The law is good. But the control over the implementation of the law? You saw today the highest form of demonstration of statelessness, of disinterest, of transfer of responsibility. One minister says: I am in favor of entering the list of narcotic substances, the other says: no, this is not a drug, added the MP from the BSP for Bulgaria.
Ninova pointed out: “There is no will to solve this problem, because it is about the mafia, it is about organized crime, it is about millions who are profiting from this organized crime at the expense of the health and lives of our children. This is it and we have to say it in plain text”.
She reacted by retorting the Minister of Health: “Absolute nonsense! How can you expect a mafia that sells an illegal narcotic substance or paradise gas to contribute 1 percent of those sales to your budget for health purposes? And you whine in front of us why this 1% did not enter? They sell it illegally – how to pay you 1% in taxes in the financial system?”.
Cornelia Ninova challenged the arguments presented by the ministers: “You said that imports are a problem for the food industry and for medical activities. Import is not a problem at all – the problem is the order in Bulgaria of this import. I want to read you an answer to a question from the Minister of Finance Asen Vassilev from March 21, 2024, to our question about what is the problem with the import of paradise gas: “The quantities and unit of measurement at the commodity level paradise gas is not mandatory in the customs import declaration . Customs formalities are not carried out for these goods“.
Well, how do you expect to catch someone importing paradise gas, when it is not declared in the customs declaration and is not checked at all, there are no customs formalities,” Ninova pointed out.
She listed as the first task – change in the Customs Act and declare this thing so that it can be traced.
“The second argument you say prevents you – imports for the food industry, which were huge. Who are you speaking them to? When it is imported for the food industry, it goes to a warehouse, from the warehouse it starts to be distributed and invoiced. Both the Ministry of the Interior and finance, if you join hands and do your work, along the way of the invoices, you will check where it goes. And if he goes to a sugar factory – 5 kg, and 20 have been imported, look for the remaining 15 where they have gone. An elementary way of tracking the invoicing of the import of a commodity. Although it is not included in the customs declaration, it still goes through invoices, emphasized Cornelia Ninova.
She also pointed out a contradiction: “According to the ministers, it was not a drug. But notice – they are waiting for the EC and the European Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction to say that it is a drug and then we will put it on the list. They will again wait for someone from outside to tell them how to save our children from disease and death. Can't we take our fate into our own hands for once and paradise gas is put on the list of drugs – as did Great Britain, France, Denmark and Ireland. They didn't wait for the EC to tell them whether it was a drug or not, in order to do what their superiors told them to do, said the MP from the BSP for Bulgaria.
“Obviously, this council on drugs is being listened to, that there is a contradiction between the ministers and the participants in it, I do not rule out lobbying interests, so that there is no desire for paradise gas to become a drug.
Therefore, we, deputies from the PG of the “BSP for Bulgaria” we submitted a proposal to the National Assembly: Entrusts to the Council of Ministers the inclusion of nitrous oxide /paradise basin/ in the lists of narcotic substances, according to Art. 3, paragraph 2 of the Law on Control of Narcotic Substances and Precursors”, declared from the parliamentary tribune Ninova.
In her words, it is not the first time that the Parliament will take the initiative into its own hands and assign the Council of Ministers to do certain work. “It is about an amendment to the ordinance that is adopted by the Council of Ministers and they are the authority that can add paradise gas to this ordinance, put it as a narcotic substance, as a number of European countries have done, and not wait for someone to give them ordered from outside.
It is about saving the Bulgarian children and I hope that you will support us when this decision enters the hall,” said Cornelia Ninova.