{"id":224260,"date":"2023-11-15T09:43:03","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T09:43:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allworldreport.com\/?p=224260"},"modified":"2023-11-15T09:43:03","modified_gmt":"2023-11-15T09:43:03","slug":"young-revellers-say-they-will-continue-to-use-laughing-gas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allworldreport.com\/world-news\/young-revellers-say-they-will-continue-to-use-laughing-gas\/","title":{"rendered":"Young revellers say they will continue to use laughing gas"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>&#8216;Laughing gas ban won&#8217;t stop me&#8230;if I can get hold of it, I&#8217;ll still do it&#8217;: Young revellers say they will continue to use nitrous oxide &#8211; as mother of teenage victim warns new law will do nothing to crackdown on users<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Nitrous oxide, also known as NOS or hippy crack, is now controlled Class C drug<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Youngsters have vowed to continue using laughing gas despite the drug being made illegal.<\/p>\n<p>Nitrous oxide, also known as NOS or hippy crack, is now a controlled Class C drug, meaning that dealers could face up to 14 years in jail.<\/p>\n<p>Users face an\u00a0unlimited fine, community service, a caution \u2013 which would appear on their criminal record \u2013 or a\u00a0<span>possible two-year sentence for serious repeat offenders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But one mother &#8211; whose teenage son\u00a0almost died after inhaling nitrous oxide at the Parklife festival last year &#8211; says the new laws will do nothing to crack down on users.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>And in Brighton, which was dubbed the &#8216;Hippy Crack Capital of Britain&#8217; after more than 150kg of nitrous oxide canisters were picked up during a beach clean-up, defiant young revellers say the ban will not stop them using the party high.<\/p>\n<p>One 20-year-old student &#8211; called Dean &#8211; raged: &#8216;Yes, I&#8217;ve done it and this won&#8217;t stop me.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/07\/16\/76713691-12720973-A_man_inhales_an_unknown_gas_from_a_balloon_at_Notting_Hill_Carn-a-17_1699372836067.jpg\" height=\"851\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Nitrous oxide, also known as NOS or hippy crack, is now a controlled Class C drug, meaning that dealers could face up to 14 years in jail\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/11\/77550813-12720973-image-a-44_1699442623201.jpg\" height=\"414\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Users face an unlimited fine, community service, a caution \u2013 which would appear on their criminal record \u2013 or a possible two-year sentence for serious repeat offenders. Pictured: Laughing gas canisters\u00a0discarded by the side of a road near Ebbsfleet, Kent<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77574301-12726955-image-a-4_1699477723464.jpg\" height=\"844\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>But one mother (left) &#8211; whose teenage son (right) almost died after inhaling nitrous oxide at the Parklife festival last year &#8211; says the new laws will do nothing to crack down on users<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77574307-12726955-image-a-5_1699477735114.jpg\" height=\"782\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Then 16, Alex Littler&#8217;s (pictured) lung burst after inhaling nitrous oxide at Parklife festival in Manchester &#8211; with medics telling him he was lucky to be alive<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;If I can get hold of it I&#8217;ll still do it. It&#8217;s better than drinking yourself stupid.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;It&#8217;s not addictive so I don&#8217;t see what the problem is &#8211; you can&#8217;t ban everything.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p><span>Inhaling the gas brings about short-term feelings of lightheadedness, fits of giggles and hallucinations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Heavy, regular abuse risks significant health risks including anaemia and in more severe cases, nerve damage or paralysis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It has been identified as having potentially fatal consequences on the UK&#8217;s roads from incidents of drug driving.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But a second student in the seaside city, Daniel, 21, defiantly said: &#8216;<\/span>I can&#8217;t see how they&#8217;re going to be able to police it because it is still legally available to buy.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;It&#8217;s known to be much safer than alcohol and even cigarettes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;It just makes you feel good, giggle a bit and then you&#8217;re fine, so I don&#8217;t really know why it&#8217;s being banned. It seems like the Government is clutching at straws.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77575081-12726955-image-a-22_1699478595077.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The beach clean-up by Oceans8Brighton said they filled rubbish sack after rubbish sack with the metal containers<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77575097-12726955-image-a-24_1699478608028.jpg\" height=\"422\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Nitrous oxide gas canisters amongst piles of litter on Brighton beach and seafront\u00a0left behind by the crowds of visitors<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77575093-12726955-image-a-25_1699478702555.jpg\" height=\"425\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Silent Disco beach clean team collected hundreds of empty cans and nitrous oxide &#8216;hippy crack&#8217; canisters after Pride on Brighton beach<\/p>\n<p>And art student Ellie said the drug being outlawed may even make it more appealing with rebellious youngsters.<\/p>\n<p>The 23-year-old added:\u00a0&#8216;It&#8217;s really popular with students who want to go out dancing all night. It&#8217;s a good dance high.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;I&#8217;ve used it before but stopped now as I don&#8217;t go to those types of clubs anymore but I think banning it will do nothing to stop people using it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;In fact making it illegal will appeal to some people.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>The beach clean-up in the city by Oceans8Brighton said they filled rubbish sack after rubbish sack with the metal containers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span>Nitrous oxide is\u00a0the second most commonly used drug among 16 to 24-year-olds in England after cannabis, and has been blamed for fuelling littering and anti-social behaviour.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This summer it was reported that there were 13 tonnes canisters of the drug collected after the Notting Hill carnival.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Nitrous oxide has legitimate uses and it will remain lawful for catering purposes and in maternity wards when used as pain relief during labour.<\/p>\n<p>Licences will not be needed to carry nitrous oxide, but users will be required to demonstrate they are not intending to consume it for psychoactive effects.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The ban has been welcomed by organisations including the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77574317-12726955-image-a-10_1699477789954.jpg\" height=\"839\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Cathy Mccann, 46, the mother of Alex Littler, now 17,\u00a0(pictured at Parklife) hasn&#8217;t used the drug in the last year but says some of his friends still do it despite knowing about his ordeal\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77574299-12726955-image-a-6_1699477748610.jpg\" height=\"791\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The Year 11 student was rushed to hospital on Monday 20 June after complaining of a swollen neck, breathlessness and that his chest felt like &#8216;popping bubble wrap&#8217; when touched due to the air leaking from a ruptured lung<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77574305-12726955-image-a-7_1699477753547.jpg\" height=\"784\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0Ms Mccann said she was happy to see the ban on nitrous oxide but said she would have liked to have seen the drug recognised as a class B drug or higher, rather than a Class C<\/p>\n<p>But the mother of a boy who nearly died after taking the drug at a music festival says she fears the new bans will have little affect on children wanting to take the substance.<\/p>\n<h3>READ MORE:\u00a0&#8216;Terrifying epidemic&#8217; of laughing gas is leaving young adults with spinal cord damage, burst lungs and &#8216;unable to walk&#8217;<\/h3>\n<p>Cathy Mccann, 46, the mother of Alex Littler, now 17, said she was happy to see the ban on nitrous oxide but said she would have liked to have seen the drug recognised as a class B drug or higher, rather than a Class C.<\/p>\n<p>Then 16,\u00a0his lung burst after inhaling nitrous oxide at\u00a0Parklife festival in Manchester &#8211; with medics telling him he was lucky to be alive.<\/p>\n<p>The Year 11 student was rushed to hospital on Monday 20 June after complaining of a swollen neck, breathlessness and that his chest felt like &#8216;popping bubble wrap&#8217; when touched due to the air leaking from a ruptured lung.<\/p>\n<p>Beauty therapist Ms Mccann, from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, said: &#8216;I think it is a good idea but I think nitrous oxide should have been made a class B drug or higher because what is making it a class C drug going to do.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;It&#8217;s not going to stop kids from doing it. They will be getting a slap on the wrist if they are found with it and that&#8217;s it.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;I think it [nitrous oxide] will still go on. There will be no less canisters around our area than there were last week.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;I can&#8217;t see people going to prison for possession of it. It&#8217;s the same if you&#8217;re caught with cannabis on you. You just get a slap on the wrist unless you have a large amount.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77574315-12726955-image-a-9_1699477777905.jpg\" height=\"841\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>He was diagnosed with a ruptured and leaking lung and told he was lucky to be alive but medics warned he may need surgery to remove air that was trapped around his lungs and heart<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77574309-12726955-image-a-8_1699477758459.jpg\" height=\"733\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Beauty therapist Cathy says the ordeal was &#8216;terrifying&#8217;, with Alex having vowed never to inhale the drug again, admitting that he &#8216;didn&#8217;t know the dangers&#8217;. Pictured: An x-ray of Alex&#8217;s lung<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77574773-12726955-image-a-11_1699477849743.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Heavy, regular abuse of the drug risks significant health risks including anaemia and in more severe cases, nerve damage or paralysis<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;If a young person gets caught with one of those gas canisters, they won&#8217;t get a prison sentence. They won&#8217;t implement this. They would need to be caught three, four or five times.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;I&#8217;m glad about the prison sentence being brought in for the people selling nitrous oxide. I think this will help save lives and will hopefully stop people selling it.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Social media profiles purporting to sell canisters of the gas are rife, while a number of websites sell it under the guise of legitimate food use. One website promises that the goods will be &#8216;discreetly packaged and delivered&#8217;.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ms Mccann said her son Alex hasn&#8217;t used the drug in the last year but says some of his friends still do it despite knowing about his ordeal.<\/p>\n<p>She continued: &#8216;My son has not touched laughing gas since his accident.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;At first, after the accident, some of his friends didn&#8217;t but they are still using it now.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;It scared them [his friends] at first but now some of them still do it.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Laughing gas should be banned off the internet all together and then hopefully no more children will lose their lives but I still feel there will be cases of it.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;I think the ban is a good thing but the drug should have been registered as a higher class than a C.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/76713619-12726955-Another_social_media_video_shows_a_man_in_a_tracksuit_appearing_-a-13_1699477966318.jpg\" height=\"655\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>A video was shared on TikTok that appeared to show a man offering balloons of nitrous oxide at the Worried About Henry (WAH) drum and bass festival in London\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77574879-12726955-image-a-12_1699477943831.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Nitrous Oxide has been identified as having potentially fatal consequences on the UK&#8217;s roads from incidents of drug driving. Pictured: Nitrous oxide canisters litter the ground near the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury<\/p>\n<p><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Drug Science, which campaigns for reform to drug laws, warned new bans would unnecessarily criminalise young users.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Its founder, Professor David Nutt, said: &#8216;We believe the ban is wrong. It is completely disproportionate to nitrous oxide&#8217;s harms.<\/p>\n<h3>What are the risks of nitrous oxide?<\/h3>\n<p>Nitrous oxide, has been nicknamed &#8216;laughing gas&#8217; due to the euphoric and relaxed feeling people who inhale it can sometimes feel.<\/p>\n<p>The substance &#8211; also known as &#8216;hippy crack&#8217; &#8211; is normally bought in pressured canisters, commonly transferred to a container, e.g. a balloon, from which the gas is inhaled.<\/p>\n<p>Although possession of laughing gas is not currently illegal, English law prohibits its sale to under-18s if there is a chance they will inhale it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The effects of nitrous oxide:<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Feelings of euphoria, relaxation and calm.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Dizziness, difficulty in thinking straight and fits of giggles\/laughter.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Sound distortions or even hallucinations.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 In some people, a headache can be an unwanted immediate effect.<\/p>\n<p>Risks include:<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Unconsciousness or death from lack of oxygen. This occurs when the available oxygen for breathing is effectively pushed out by the nitrous oxide.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;It will place a new burden on an already overstretched criminal justice system.\u00a0And it risks causing lasting problems in the lives of young people, by needlessly criminalising them.&#8217;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Harry Sumnall, a professor in substance use at Liverpool John Moores University, has expressed doubts over whether the new laws will be strongly enforced.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He told MailOnline: &#8216;The police have bigger fish to try with regards to drugs and drug-related harm. Typical use is sporadic, it&#8217;s infrequent.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Even though a large number of particularly young people are using it, most people are using it infrequently, a few times a year and only about 10 per cent are frequent users.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;It&#8217;s the sporadic, infrequent users that are going to come into contact with the police &#8211; but I suspect we won&#8217;t see anybody going to prison for this.&#8217;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Videos shared in recent months showing users openly carrying branded nitrous oxide canisters in the street at large scale events such as festivals.<\/p>\n<p>One video, which appears to have been filmed at the Worried About Henry (WAH) drum and bass festival this summer, showed a man with a balloon in his mouth, waving around a large canister branded with the name of a company that sells nitrous oxide.<\/p>\n<p>It was captioned: &#8216;Did anybody else see this guy trying to sell balloons at WAH?&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Other clips show people waving around huge canisters purporting to hold the gas, and even appearing to inhale from balloons that may have contained it before getting into cars.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Evidence of the drug&#8217;s popularity clear to see in the streets, where discarded branded canisters are a regular sight.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>One social media user living in the Bordesley Green area of Birmingham\u00a0shared videos of a walk in the area, where one pedestrian tunnel was piled high with the objects.<\/p>\n<p>They lamented: &#8216;All along the journey came across numerous nitrous oxide canisters. All along my route, to many dumped canisters to photo all of them.&#8217;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/07\/16\/61859201-12720973-Kayleigh_Burns_16_an_asthmatic_collapsed_at_a_house_party_in_Lea-a-20_1699372928400.jpg\" height=\"457\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Kayleigh Burns, 16, an asthmatic, collapsed at a house party in Leamington Spa and died after being rushed to hospital moments after inhaling laughing gas in August 2022<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77574875-12726955-image-a-14_1699477987010.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Canisters of nitrious oxide aka &#8220;hippy crack&#8221; abandoned amongst rubbish at the site of the 2023 Notting Hill Carnival following the close of the carnival in west London\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77574755-12726955-image-m-17_1699478052188.jpg\" height=\"740\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Students in Newcastle have also said harsh sentences are needed to prevent youngsters from using laughing gas. Pictured:\u00a0Casey Young, 19, (left) and Trirok Kushwaha, 18, (right), both medical students at Northumbria University<\/p>\n<p>Official statistics suggest that laughing gas became the drug of choice among young people during the pandemic, with as much as 8.7 per cent of 16-24 year-olds using the drug at least once in the year in the lead-up to lockdown.<\/p>\n<h3>READ MORE:\u00a0Shocking moment &#8216;hippy crack&#8217; driver, 23, inhales balloon and uses his phone before killing his 15-year-old cousin in horror 60mph crash after ploughing through a metal barrier &#8211; as he is jailed for 7\u00bd years\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p>Students in Newcastle have also said harsh sentences are needed to prevent youngsters from using laughing gas.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Casey Young, 19, a medical student at Northumbria University said: &#8216;I think harsh sentences such as 14 years for supplying laughing gas are good.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;If it was only one or two years people would not be deterred from using it. The prison sentence will put a stop to it.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;I&#8217;ve heard about it. I know that it causes a high and for you to laugh but I don&#8217;t use it. I don&#8217;t need it to have a good time. I also haven&#8217;t seen other students using it.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Her friend, Trirok Kushwaha, 18, also a medical student at Northumbria, added: &#8216;It&#8217;s dangerous. You are not supposed to be breathing that in, your lungs aren&#8217;t meant for that.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;I wouldn&#8217;t even prescribe it to my patients when I qualify as a doctor. It can harm people.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;The strict sentencing is good as it will stop people from using it.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Isobelle Hill, 19, a forensic science student at Northumbria University, said: &#8216;I haven&#8217;t used it. When I was 16 I knew loads of people who did it but I stayed away from it because it wasn&#8217;t my thing.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;I don&#8217;t think many students do it. I think it&#8217;s more younger teenagers that get their hands on it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77574749-12726955-image-m-21_1699478099794.jpg\" height=\"822\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Isobelle Hill, 19, (pictured) a forensic science student at Northumbria University, said she hadn&#8217;t used the drug &#8211; but knew lots of other youngsters who had<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77574757-12726955-image-m-20_1699478094688.jpg\" height=\"868\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Lucy McDonald, 19, a law student from Northumbria University said she didn&#8217;t think the high sentences or the substance becoming illegal would put everyone off<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;I haven&#8217;t seen anyone at university using it. Making it illegal will put some people off doing it.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>And Lucy McDonald, 19, a law student from Northumbria University added: &#8216;I don&#8217;t think the high sentences or it becoming illegal will put everyone off taking it but it&#8217;s more of a deterrent.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;If people can find it they will still take it. I don&#8217;t know if anyone who does it and I didn&#8217;t realise it was such a huge issue.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;It isn&#8217;t something I&#8217;ve come across in university.&#8217;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But Office for National Statistics (ONS) report revealed usage was dropping, with only 3.9 per cent of 16-to-24 year-olds in England using it at least once last year.<\/p>\n<p>Dr David Nicholl, consultant neurologist and clinical lead at City Hospital in Birmingham, said earlier this year he was seeing more patients struggling with the side effects of &#8216;nos&#8217; than cocaine.<\/p>\n<p>The gas can lead to oxygen deprivation in the brain, and long term use has been linked with vitamin B12 problems that can lead to degradation of spinal nerves, leading to paralysis.<\/p>\n<p>Dr Nicholl said: &#8216;I&#8217;ve been a neurologist for 21 years and have seen a definite change in how it&#8217;s being used, since the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Compared to before, now the volumes of nitrous oxide being consumed can be quite terrifying &#8211; up to 150 cylinders per day.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/07\/16\/64823669-12720973-Kerry_Donaldson_pictured_25_from_Newham_in_London_revealed_in_Ju-a-23_1699372940823.jpg\" height=\"797\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Kerry Donaldson (pictured), 25, from Newham in London, revealed in July 2022 how her &#8216;hippy crack&#8217; binges damaged her spinal cord and forced her to rely on her dad for round-the-clock care<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/21\/77575419-12726955-image-m-27_1699479266449.jpg\" height=\"778\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Rising use may come down to the ease with which people believe they can obtain nitrous oxide and new psychoactive substances &#8211; so-called &#8216;legal highs&#8217;. Pictured: Discarded\u00a0laughing gas canisters found in Bamber Bridge, Lancashire<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;It&#8217;s perceived as safe &#8211; and terms like &#8216;laughing gas&#8217; are especially unhelpful because it makes it sound trivial.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;But the stuff bought on the street is pure nitrous oxide and not safe for human consumption. It is not the same substance used in hospitals, and it is toxic.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Last year,\u00a0London receptionist Kerry Donaldson warned of the effects of long-term nitrous oxide use after she became a heavy user in 2017.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>READ MORE &#8211;\u00a0Hippy crack is &#8216;more dangerous than cocaine&#8217;, neurologist warns<\/h3>\n<p>She began to lose sensation in her hands and is now partially paralysed and uses a wheelchair to get around after developing a disc bulge in her lower back and nerve damage.<\/p>\n<p>Kerry, 25 at the time, said in July 2022: &#8216;I didn&#8217;t really understand the damage that it could cause. I just thought it was a bit of fun, I didn&#8217;t think it would harm me.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>In summer 2022, 16-year-old Kayleigh Burns collapsed at a house party in Leamington Spa.<\/p>\n<p>The teenager, who was asthmatic, had taken laughing gas shortly before she complained of being &#8216;too hot&#8217;, before falling unconscious. She was rushed to hospital, where she later died.<\/p>\n<p>Her sister Clare Baker told the Liverpool Echo: &#8216;I want people to think about what they are taking before they take it because they&#8217;re going to leave people behind who love them.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;People may think it is a laugh and a joke, but it&#8217;s not, they&#8217;re playing with their lives.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/07\/16\/76713315-12720973-Social_media_profiles_claim_to_offer_nitrous_oxide_for_sale_unde-a-24_1699372945711.jpg\" height=\"425\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Social media profiles claim to offer nitrous oxide for sale &#8211; under the guise of doing so for &#8216;catering only&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>His mother Cathy McCann said in June 2022: &#8216;His friends are devastated, they&#8217;ve been on the phone constantly, putting posts on Snapchat saying they don&#8217;t want to see anyone doing balloons.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;It&#8217;s a danger because if it hadn&#8217;t repaired itself it&#8217;s going to make a bigger hole and it would have been fatal. He would have ended up dead or paralysed or brain dead.&#8217;<\/p>\n<h3>READ MORE &#8211;\u00a0Rishi Sunak announces crackdown on crime in King&#8217;s Speech\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p>An official report\u00a0has suggested the gas played a role in 56 deaths in England and Wales between 2001 and 2020 &#8211; 45 of them coming in 2010 or later.<\/p>\n<p>Nasrin Saleh, 25, is currently serving a four-year jail sentence after she got high on the gas before getting behind the wheel and crashing into a brick wall, killing\u00a0front seat passenger Luqman Mehboob.<\/p>\n<p>NOS has also been linked to a triple tragedy road crash in Wales earlier this year in which Rafel Jeanne, 24, Darcy Ross, 21 and Eve Smith, 21, were killed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Court papers revealed the occupants of the car had been drinking and inhaling the gas before their Volkswagen Tiguan came off the road on the A48 on March 4.<\/p>\n<p><span>Rising use may come down to the ease with which people believe they can obtain nitrous oxide and new psychoactive substances &#8211; so-called &#8216;legal highs&#8217;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Excluding don&#8217;t knows, 46 per cent of people asked by the ONS said it would be either &#8216;very&#8217; or &#8216;fairly&#8217; easy to get hold of within 24 hours.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/07\/16\/77512283-12720973-image-a-25_1699372992186.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Crime and Policing Minister, Chris Philp, said the government &#8216;would not accept&#8217; anti-social behaviour related to nitrous oxide abuse\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/07\/16\/77512713-12720973-image-m-40_1699373373845.jpg\" height=\"443\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Home Secretary Suella Braverman &#8211; pictured yesterday at the State Opening of Parliament &#8211; announced the laughing gas ban last year\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Promised as part of the Government&#8217;s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, the change in law make the substance a controlled class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, with exceptions for legitimate medical and food uses.<\/p>\n<p>Punishments will be in line with other class C drugs such as anabolic steroids and benzodiazepines such as diazepam &#8211; up to two years in prison and an unlimited fine for possession, and up to 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine for supply.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>READ MORE:\u00a0Victims of horror Cardiff car crash which claimed three lives and left two others trapped for 48 hours &#8216;were drinking alcohol and inhaling laughing gas&#8217; before car veered of road and smashed into trees\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p>Crime and Policing Minister Chris Philp said:\u00a0&#8216;Today we are sending a clear signal to people, especially young people, that not only is abuse of nitrous oxide dangerous to their health, but it is also illegal and those caught possessing it will face consequences.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;For too long the use of this drug in public spaces has contributed to anti-social behaviour which is a blight on communities. We will not accept it. This law gives the police the powers they need to take a zero-tolerance approach to this crime.&#8217;\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Association of Police and Crime Commissioners Addictions and Substance Misuse Leads, Joy Allen and Dorset PCC David Sidwick said: &#8216;Police and Crime Commissioners across England and Wales have campaigned strongly for a ban and warmly welcome this development.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;It will ensure police officers can respond more effectively to community concerns about the use of nitrous oxide in public spaces and will send out a clear message to deter use of the drug among young people in the future.&#8217;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Chief Constable Richard Lewis, National Police Chiefs&#8217; Council lead for Drugs, said:&#8217;Tackling anti-social behaviour in communities is a key objective of the police service and any new laws or powers that assist in this regard are welcome.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Policing will work with the Government following their decision to make possession of nitrous oxide without a legitimate reason a criminal offence, as opposed to just supply and intent to supply.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-12726955\/revellers-continue-laughing-gas-illegal-teenage-victim-new-law-crackdown.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8216;Laughing gas ban won&#8217;t stop me&#8230;if I can get hold of it, I&#8217;ll still do it&#8217;: Young&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":224259,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - 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