Julia Lopez MP has welcomed the government’s decision to make nitrous oxide a controlled Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan.
These changes will see repeat serious users of nitrous oxide facing up to 2 years in prison and dealers up to 14 years.
Earlier this year, the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman KC MP, urged police forces to tackle flagrant drug taking in communities, with reports linking nitrous oxide to antisocial behaviour including intimidating gatherings on high streets and parks with empty cannisters left strewn across public spaces.
Heavy, regular abuse of the drug also poses significant health risks for users including anaemia and in more severe cases, nerve damage or paralysis. It has been identified as having potentially fatal consequences on the UK’s roads from incidents of drug driving.
More information on this ban can be found on the Home Office’s website - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nitrous-oxide-to-be-illegal-from-november?deliveryName=DM30764
