What is nitrous oxide? What you need to know about laughing gas set to be banned by the UK government

Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas or nos, is set to be banned in the UK as part of a government crackdown on anti-social behaviour. The gas is commonly misused as a party drug, second only to cannabis among 16-24-year-olds in England. Nitrous oxide is inhaled, usually from a balloon or directly from a canister, and creates feelings of euphoria and giggling fits. However, it can also cause health problems such as vitamin B12 deficiency, anaemia and nerve damage. A spike in hospital admissions caused by the drug has been reported.

Nitrous oxide also has legitimate uses, including as a propellant for whipped cream in professional kitchens, as a source of oxygen for car engines, and as an anaesthetic in medical and dental settings. However, small silver canisters are also marketed as “cream chargers” and sold in cornershops, often with party balloons included in the price. Levelling up secretary Michael Gove has described the canisters as a “scourge”.

Supplying nitrous oxide for its psychoactive effects is already illegal, but possession could now result in prosecution under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The ban has not yet been confirmed as falling under class A, B or C. The substance is widely used across Europe, but other countries have taken varying approaches to its regulation. In the US, nitrous oxide is already a controlled substance and subject to regulation; it is also illegal in Australia, though reportedly still easy to obtain. However, a UK ban is unlikely to be fully effective, given the presence of hundreds of thousands of canisters already in circulation, according to the Home Office.

The move has been criticised by groups such as the Royal Society for Public Health, which has called for a public health approach to nitrous oxide use. Critics say that the ban simply drives people towards other drugs or alcohol and does not address the root causes of anti-social behaviour. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) said in 2015 that the harms of nitrous oxide “are not enough to justify control”. However, it later backed a ban on pre-filled canisters. A report from drugs charity Release in 2015 called for the drug to be sold through licensed outlets and for research into the risks associated with the substance.

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