The government of Britain plans to make possession of laughing gas or nitrous oxide, a popular drug among young people, a criminal offence. It will also tighten the rules for retailers who sell the gas for misuse. The move is part of a wider crackdown on anti-social behaviour, which will give more powers to police and councils to deal with people who are causing nuisance in public spaces. The government says it will also help these people get the support they need.
The British government explains that it is banning nitrous oxide because it is harmful to young people’s health and social well-being. It says the drug is widely used in public spaces, which makes them unsafe for children. Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, says the drug has a negative impact on young brains and nervous systems. Heavy use can lead to a vitamin deficiency that damages nerves in the spinal column.
Some drugs charities have opposed the government’s decision to ban nitrous oxide, saying it will not deter users but will make the drug more risky. They say the government has ignored its own advisers and that education is a better way to reduce the harms of nitrous oxide. They also warn that criminalising possession could have negative consequences for young people’s futures.
Stronger sentences
The British government’s decision to ban nitrous oxide goes against the advice of its own expert panel, the ACMD, which said the drug should not be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The ACMD argued that the existing law was sufficient and that criminalising possession would be unfair and ineffective. The ACMD also found no evidence that nitrous oxide causes anti-social behaviour, except for littering. A drug policy reform group criticised the government for ignoring the ACMD’s advice and said it would harm drug policy. Nitrous oxide has legitimate uses in medicine and cooking.
Anti-social behaviour
Labour supports the government’s ban on nitrous oxide, saying it causes problems in the community. However, Labour criticises the government’s wider strategy to tackle anti-social behaviour, such as public drug use, fly-tipping and graffiti. Labour says the strategy is ineffective and that the government has cut neighbourhood policing. Labour says the government should be judged by its record, not its promises.