Readers will be aware that I have been working with BBC Hereford and Worcester to end the blight of nitrous oxide. A gas that is familiar to both birthing mothers and the catering industry, its uses range from pain relief in its medical form “gas and air” to a frother for whipped cream and exotic cocktails.
But all too many people see the aftermath of its less noble use. Small stainless steel bulbs left lying around parks and public spaces signifiy its use as a recreational drug. Known laughing gas, hippy crack, nos, it induces short term highs on users that vanish as quickly as they appear. But it is not without harm
Now the second biggest choice of drugs for youngsters, it has the effect of stripping vitamin D1 from users’ nervous system. A neurologist likened its long term use to trying to drive a car where all the insulation had been stripped off the internal wiring. When I held a debate in Parliament about this, I received an email from the brother of a user. Her brother, an elite sportsman and budding City financier, had become addicted and after he became disabled from use, took his own life. As they say, laughing gas is no laughing matter.
I was calling for its sale to be monitored and clamped down on. Teenagers in Birmingham can pick it up in the local shop. Amazon will deliver it next day. Wholesalers can buy it by the pallet load – enough to keep Glastonbury supplied for a weekend. Indeed, the 2016 Psychoactive Substances Act provided that sale for misuse of a product is a criminal offence.
On Monday, the government announced its measures to tackle antisocial behaviour. Amongst its provisions is the outlawing of the position of nitrous oxide under the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act. This classifies it alongside regular drugs such as cannabis and cocaine.
This measure goes further than I could have hoped for. It sends an absolutely unequivocal message that this is not a cheap, easy high, but a dangerous drug that causes lifetime harm.
That said, I’ve urged ministers to hammer down on the suppliers before targeting teenagers. We’ve all been young and I certainly don’t want countless teenagers to suddenly become criminals because they couldn’t keep up with the law. But I do want to end the danger they face when using this drug. As I say, this is no laughing matter.