Nitrous oxide to be banned under plans to clamp down on anti-social behaviour

Nitrous oxide is set to be banned under government plans to clamp down on anti-social behaviour.

Levelling up secretary Michael Gove made the announcement this morning on the Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme.

“Antisocial behaviour can ruin lives,” he said.

Confirming the ban on laughing gas, Mr Gove said: “I think anyone who has the opportunity to walk through our parks in our major cities will have seen these little silver canisters, which are examples of people not only spoiling public spaces but taking a drug which can have a psychological and neurological effect and one that contributes to antisocial behaviour overall.”

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Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is the second most commonly used drug among 16 to 24-year-olds in England after cannabis and there are concerns about health problems caused by its usage.

An investigation by Sky News revealed there had been a spike in hospital admissions caused by people using the party drug.

The decision announced today goes further than the recommendations of a review commissioned by the Home Office, which stopped short of recommending a ban after examining the dangers of the substance.

The independent Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) was asked by the Home Office in 2021 to provide advice on whether to make possession of nitrous oxide a crime.

The ACMD concluded that the sanctions of offences under the act would be disproportionate with the level of harm associated with the substance, and that such control could create “significant burdens” for legitimate uses of the substance.

But Mr Gove said that ministers were ultimately responsible for making decisions, adding: ” We believe collectively that it is absolutely vital that we deal with this scourge.”

The Cabinet minister confirmed that the ban would be issued under the Misuse of Drugs Act 197 but did not know which class – A, B or C – the drug would fall under.

“We can’t have a situation, we mustn’t have a situation where our drugs, our public spaces become drug taking arenas and that is why we need to do crackdown on new manifestations of drug taking.

“These laughing gas canisters are an increasing scourge, and one that has been reported to me as a constituency MP.”

‘Hypocrisy’ given Gove’s history of cocaine

Mr Gove’s campaign to be Tory leader in 2019 faltered after he admitted publicly he has taken cocaine “on several occasions” in the past.

Sophy Ridge asked: “Are you really going to give people a criminal record for a 30-second high from laughing gas?”

Mr Gove initially avoided the question but then replied: “We need to deal with the scourge [of nitrous oxide].”

“It’s absolutely right we uphold the law in this case,” he added.

When asked again if the plans were hypocritical, given some MPs have been known to take drugs, including himself, he said: “No… because I’ve learned.”

He continued: “I’ve learned it’s a mistake, it’s worse than a mistake to regard drug taking as somehow acceptable.”

Cleaning up anti-social behaviour

The move is part of a pack of measures designed to curb anti-social behaviour, which is set to be a key issue in the run-up to the next general election.

People convicted of anti-social behaviour will be ordered to repair the damage they have caused within two days of being told their punishment, under new plans.

Where possible, low-level offenders will be cleaning up the mess they created but if this is not possible – if it has already been cleaned up, for example – they will be given other ways to help their community.

This could include picking up litter, washing police cars or volunteering in shops.

Read more:
How laughing gas addiction ‘messed up’ man’s life – as getting substance ‘easy as buying bread’
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The scheme will be piloted in 10 areas before a rollout across England and Wales next year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce on Monday.

Labour’s shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell backed the plans to ban laughing gas, telling Sophy Ridge: “I think we want to see it banned as well because I think it does cause a huge amount of littering of disruption and of anti-social behaviour challenges as well.”

She said anti-social behaviour was “probably the number one issue” her constituents in Manchester raised with her on the doorstep.

“They feel that they don’t have the police on the beat that they can turn to,” she said, adding that Labour would bring in an extra 13,000 neighbourhood police officers if it wins power.