The government has announced that by the end of the year, Nitrous Oxide will be prohibited and reclassified as a Class C drug.

The reclassification of the substance, often colloquially known as laughing gas, will result in potential penalties of up to two years in prison for users and up to 14 years for sellers.

This action is scheduled to take effect at the end of the year, which uncovered a significant increase in hospital admissions attributed to the use of this recreational drug.

Nitrous Oxide currently ranks as the second most prevalent drug of choice among individuals aged 16 to 24 in England, trailing only behind cannabis.

In March, Michael Gove, the Levelling Up Secretary, unveiled government intentions to curb anti-social behaviour, including a ban on nitrous oxide. This announcement exceeded the recommendations made by a Home Office-commissioned review, which fell short of proposing an outright ban.

In a statement, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “The British people are fed up with yobs abusing drugs in public spaces and leaving behind a disgraceful mess for others to clean up.

“Earlier this year the prime minister and I promised a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour and that is what we are delivering.

“If you are caught using ‘laughing gas’ as a drug, you could be hit with a hefty fine or face jail time.”

The Home Secretary has stated that new initiatives are already in progress to enhance police presence in areas identified as hotspots, enabling swifter enforcement of penalties.

Data from the London Ambulance Service, shared with Sky News, revealed a significant increase in emergency 999 calls related to nitrous oxide incidents over the course of a year. In 2021, there were 65 recorded calls, which surged to 213 in 2022, marking a substantial rise from 36 calls in 2018.

These patients may experience a wide spectrum of health issues, ranging from impaired mobility to mental health challenges and sexual dysfunction. In extreme cases, two nitrous oxide patients have even required surgical procedures, such as brain drains, to safeguard their eyesight.

Tragically, in the most severe instances, the consequences can be fatal, with nitrous oxide being linked to the deaths of 62 individuals since 2001.

The prohibition had been pledged as an integral component of the government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, with the Home Secretary encouraging law enforcement agencies to adopt a more stringent stance towards drug use in public areas.

Crime and Policing Minister Chris Philp said:”We cannot allow young people to think there are no consequences to misusing drugs.

“There is no question that abusing laughing gas is dangerous to people’s health and it is paramount we take decisive action before the situation gets worse.

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