To combat the rise in anti-social behavior, the UK government plans to outlaw the sale and possession of nitrous oxide, also known as “laughing gas,” in the nation. In order to limit the supply of drugs and young people’s recreational use of them, UK ministers have presented a plan to update the nation’s drug abuse legislation. The restriction will not apply to people or professions, such as cooks and doctors, who have a good cause. Food can be chilled or frozen using laughing gas, which dentists also use as an anesthetic.
The substance that 16 to 24-year-olds in England misuse the most is laughing gas, which is second only to cannabis
The substance that 16 to 24-year-olds in England misuse the most is laughing gas, which is second only to cannabis. A colorless gas known as laughing gas that is marketed in metal canisters contains nitrous oxide. A lot of people use gas as a propellant. In hospitals and dental offices, the gas is used to administer anesthesia to patients. Some users of the drug, also referred to as “hippy crack,” inhale it through a balloon or a dispenser device called a “cracker.”
Governments all throughout the world worry that youth nitrous oxide addiction, which can be lethal, is on the rise. Since the gas is extremely chilly when it emerges and the pressure is also very high, directly breathing it from canisters is considerably deadlier. It can halt breathing; disrupt cardiac functions and damage the lungs and throat.
Dr. David Nicholl, a clinical lead for neurology at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, says that the gas should not be called “laughing gas” as there is nothing funny about it. The doctor said, “People come into the hospital off their legs, difficulty walking, presenting with tingling in the hands and feet, slurred speech, and more rarely seizures”. “I’ve even spoken to one ophthalmologist colleague who has seen a patient who went blind, but that was secondary to hypoxia caused by inhaling nitrous oxide,” he warned in an interview with Sky News.
UK already forbids the careless distribution of nitrous oxide for inhalation
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is under pressure from UK Policing Minister Chris Philp to forward the probe into nitrous oxide quickly. The minister anticipates that it will be finished by April, allowing the government to respond once the investigation’s results are made public. This timeline suggests that the legislation revisions to restrict the availability of laughing gas won’t be completed until the summer of this year.
It should be emphasized that the UK already forbids the careless distribution of nitrous oxide for inhalation through the Psychoactive Substances Act. Experts, however, question the law’s effectiveness and demand more stringent controls on the sale of drugs. In order to prevent misuse, the British Compressed Gases Association is also advocating for a complete ban on the sale of gas.
