Nitrous oxide: Recreational use of laughing gas banned in the UK

Published

1 year ago

November 8, 2023

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“Three for a tenner,” a man sings outside a south London nightclub. He’s not selling anything but he’s mimicking sellers of nitrous oxide balloons.

“Three for a tenner, we shot them all day long,” he giggles as he walks into a small crowd at the bus stop.

It’s not even 10pm on the last Saturday before the personal use of laughing gas is banned but these revellers are on their way home.

“I haven’t done it for years,” a woman says as she sits on a wall to rest her legs.

“Fully, fully welcome the ban,” says another woman before a man chimes in: “It’s not heroin, it’s not crack, it’s balloons – come on.”

“Ban it,” someone else shouts out. “Ban it, ban it. That’s the one thing I agree that the government can do.”

There are mixed reactions to the ban on recreational use of nitrous oxide which comes into place today.

Anyone using it to get high could face up to two years in prison, while sellers see potential sentences increased from seven to 14 years.

The new law follows two government-led reviews that declared the substance wasn’t dangerous enough to merit a ban.

Laughing gas health risks

Nitrous oxide is used legitimately by the catering industry to whip up cream and as pain relief by doctors and dentists. Until this week, it was also widely touted as a party drug on the streets outside clubs and bars, attracting users of all ages.

Those who have experience of the party drug point to its numerous health risks.

It gives users a 90-second high but repeated misuse can lead to nerve damage, loss of eyesight and other health issues.

It is the second-most misused drug by 18 to 24 year olds across the country.

The government’s ban, however, comes under plans to tackle anti-social behaviour and littering. Piles of discarded canisters litter the streets and have reportedly caused road accidents as drivers and cyclists swerve to avoid hitting them.

In announcing the ban in September, the home secretary had said “yobs” were abusing public spaces and “leaving a disgraceful mess for others to clean up”.

Critics say the government has rushed through legislation to score political points ahead of an election year.

Leading neurologist in nitrous oxide abuse, Dr David Nicholl, said: “I am really worried that criminalisation of users will prevent people suffering from side effects from seeking health advice.

“This is already a very disenfranchised community, they are very hesitant to speak to doctors, so they may be even more reluctant knowing that use is illegal.”

He said the feeling among medical professionals is that nitrous oxide should have been dealt with as a public health issue not an opportunity to criminalise youths.

Dal Babu, former assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, says it will be a nightmare to police.

“It’s going to be difficult for police to prove that a person is using it for recreational purposes,” he told Sky News.

“It doesn’t stay in your body for very long. It’s not like cannabis or cocaine where you can do a test and find out if the drug is in a person’s body,” Mr Babu said.

Licences will not be required to carry nitrous oxide, but individual users will need to demonstrate they are lawfully in possession of it and not intending to wrongfully inhale it.

UK follows Netherlands lead

In banning the party drug, the UK follows the Netherlands which, in January, became the first country in the world to outlaw personal use of nitrous oxide after recording 1,800 car accidents over three years, resulting in 63 deaths.

The Dutch health minister who led the campaign to ban it told Sky News success comes from combining the ban with a preceding public education campaign.

“After 2018 we started with some preventative measures. These were targeted at schools, for example, and to youngsters using nitrous oxide,” said Marten van Ooijen, Netherlands state secretary for health.

“We also advised that a ban on the recreational use of nitrous oxide was to follow.

“While we don’t know exactly how much it’s worked so far, what we’ve seen from 2018 until now is that the use of nitrous oxide has declined. For example, in 2018, 13% of youngsters were using nitrous oxide, but in 2022 that declined to 5%.”

Sky News has been told that the Dutch ban has led to the creation of an underground laughing gas industry and an even bigger litter problem.

Many have stopped disposing spent canisters safely and instead throw them out with household waste, causing explosions and damage to waste management sites.

Last month the UK’s policing minister Chris Philp appeared unprepared when Sky News asked him what plans were in place for police dealing with confiscated canisters.

Mr Philp pointed to the 13 tonnes of canisters collected by Kensington and Chelsea borough after the Notting Hill Carnival and admitted he had no idea how the council disposed of them.

The ban means street sellers and laughing gas hospitalisations could disappear, but the evidence of whether the government’s ban is working will be in plain sight for everyone to see – discarded canisters on the streets could be a telling sign.

UK

Parts of UK braced for ‘disruptive snow’ after coldest night of the season

Published

3 hours ago

November 18, 2024

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Parts of UK braced for 'disruptive snow' after coldest night of the season

The UK is being warned to brace for a further cold snap with “disruptive snow” set to sweep in across parts of the country as temperatures plummet.

The Met Office has issued three new yellow weather alerts for snow and ice from Monday.

The forecaster has warned up to 20cm of snow may accumulate in the worst affected areas as the country experiences its “first taste of winter”.

Check the forecast in your area

It comes as the first amber cold health alerts of the season have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) covering all of England, except the South, until 6pm on Saturday.

An amber warning is issued when the weather is likely to “cause significant impacts across health and social care services”, according to the HSA.

That includes the potential for a rise in deaths, particularly among older people or those with health conditions.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at the UKHSA, said: “It is vital to check in on vulnerable friends, family and neighbours to ensure they are well prepared for the onset of cold weather. Particularly if they are elderly or otherwise at increased risk.”

Meanwhile yellow health alerts – the second lowest alert level – are in place for the South East, South West and London.

Temperatures dropped to -7.8C (18F) in Tulloch Bridge in the Scottish Highlands in the early hours of Monday, which is the lowest temperature the UK has seen since last winter.

Snow dusted grounds across Aberdeenshire, including at Glenshee Ski Centre and at Corgarff, as well as alongside the A939 near The Lecht in the Cairngorms.

Snow also blanketed the mountain of Ingleborough, while there was a sprinkling of frost near Clapham, in the Yorkshire Dales.

More expected in coming days

Met Office spokesperson Nicola Maxey said snow has mostly fallen on hilltops so far, with 2cm falling in Lerwick, Shetland.

But more snow and ice is expected over the coming days, with temperatures plunging to below average levels for the time of year.

“It is going to be quite a widely cold week,” Ms Maxey said. “A few degrees below average both day and night for most of the country.”

The fresh warning for Northern Ireland comes into force from 3pm today and runs until 10am on Tuesday.

The alert takes in the likes of Newry, Belfast, Omagh, Derry and Ballycastle.

The warning in Scotland comes into force from 4pm and runs until 10am on Wednesday.

The alert covers the Highlands and Islands and the northeast of the country, including Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray.

A third warning – stretching across parts of England and Wales – comes into force at 7pm and runs until 10am on Tuesday.

East Midlands, Yorkshire, and the north of England are expected to be worst hit.

‘Slight chance’ communities could be cut off

Those in the impacted areas have been told power cuts are possible and mobile phone coverage might be affected.

The Met Office has said there is a “slight chance” some rural communities could be cut off and that bus and train services may be delayed or cancelled.

People have also been warned to be careful not to slip or fall on icy surfaces.

Snow ‘even down to lower levels’

Tom Morgan, Met Office meteorologist, said: “We could see some disruptive snow in the Pennine regions, in particular, the Peak District as well, especially Monday night, but we could well see some impacts lasting on until Tuesday morning’s rush hour.

“Even down to lower levels, we could well see some snow as well, so quite a bit of disruption possible by Tuesday morning, and then the week ahead is likely to stay cold nationwide, a windy day on Tuesday, and then winter showers through the week ahead.”

Mr Morgan said that despite a “mild” start to the month, the cold conditions are more typical of “mid-winter to late-winter”.

“What we can say is that it’s going to be very cold for the time of year, there will be widespread overnight frosts, and a few locations where there’s snow on the ground,” he continued.

Changes to weather warnings ‘likely’ in coming days

In southern England, a typical maximum temperature for this time of year is 11C (52F), but daytime highs for the week ahead are forecast to be around 5C (41F), while some parts of Scotland will reach “only just above freezing”, Mr Morgan said.

Mr Morgan said the public can best prepare for the wintry weather by checking their cars are suitable for icy and potentially snowy conditions and to take extra supplies including food, blankets and a fully charged mobile phone with them on journeys.

He added there were “likely” to be changes to the weather warnings in the coming days, and that “winter flurries” could be seen in the south of England later in the week.

Despite the cold conditions, the “whole of the UK” will enjoy more sunshine this week, he said.

He added: “There’ll be some snow showers in the peripheries of the UK, particularly northern Scotland, and down the east and the west coast, but if you live inland and you live in the south, there’ll be lots of sparkly blue skies on the most days through Tuesday to Friday.”

UK

Davina McCall makes ‘enormous leap forward’ and is out of ICU after surgery to remove brain tumour

Published

3 hours ago

November 18, 2024

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Davina McCall makes 'enormous leap forward' and is out of ICU after surgery to remove brain tumour

Davina McCall has made an “enormous leap forward in the last 24 hours”, her partner has said on her Instagram.

In an update, her partner Michael Douglas, said: “Update folks. Thanks so much to all the well wishers. She really has made an enormous leap forward in the last 24 hours. She is out of ICU She is ‘loving awareness’. Thank you xx Michael.”

The post also featured a bright pink text image, which said, “massive relief to see some light breaking through,” followed by four heart emojis.

“Thanks for all the good vibes coming in from all angles. Up and up,” it added.

Friends and fellow celebrities were quick to comment on the update, with actress Patsy Palmer writing, “sending healing,” Dame Kelly Holmes commenting “awesome news Michael” and Jools Oliver adding three heart emojis.

The 57-year-old television presenter had revealed in a video posted on Instagram earlier on Friday she had a benign brain tumour, a colloid cyst, which she described as “very rare”.

Speaking in the short video ahead of her operation, McCall had explained to her followers the benign tumour was around 14mm wide and “needed to come out, because if it grows it would be bad”.

She said a surgeon would remove the cyst through the top of her head in a procedure called a craniotomy.

In her video post, the former Big Brother host said she was “in good spirits,” and would be in hospital “for around nine days” following the procedure.

According to the NHS, non-cancerous brain tumours are slow-growing and unlikely to spread, but are still serious and can be life-threatening.

McCall’s partner is sharing updates from McCall’s account while she is recovering. This is his second update since her operation.

McCall rose to fame presenting on MTV in the mid-1990s, and later on Channel 4’s Streetmate, before becoming a household name as the host of Big Brother from 2000 to 2010.

She’s gone on to present programmes across the networks, and currently presents ITV dating show My Mum, Your Dad.

Last year, McCall was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting.

In recent years, McCall has spoken regularly on women’s health and the effects of menopause in a bid to break taboos around the subject. Her 2022 book, Menopausing, won book of the year at the British Book Awards.

The same year, McCall fronted the Channel 4 documentary Davina McCall: Sex, Mind And The Menopause, and told the BBC that the perimenopausal symptoms caused her difficulties multi-tasking and she considered that she had a brain tumour or Alzheimer’s disease at the time.

Married twice, McCall has three children, two daughters and a son, with her second husband, presenter Matthew Robertson.

She has lived with Douglas since 2022, and they present a weekly lifestyle podcast together, Making The Cut.

UK

Morecambe and Wise: The letter that could have ended one of Britain’s best-loved double acts

Published

3 hours ago

November 18, 2024

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Morecambe and Wise: The letter that could have ended one of Britain's best-loved double acts

A letter in which Ernie Wise attempted to break up the double act that would go on to bring both him and Eric Morecambe worldwide fame is going on sale.

It’s part of a large archive of items belonging to Morecambe which are being sold at auction following the death in March this year of his widow, Joan, aged 97.

Morecambe died of a heart attack aged 58 in 1984. Wise died 15 years later in 1999, aged 73.

The letter, written by Wise in 1950, starts with him politely thanking Morecambe for his own letter, before writing: “Well Eric I want to get straight to the point, I want us to break up the act. I’m afraid it won’t work.”

Wise says he feels a “terrific amount” of animosity at home, and for that reason it would be better if the double act parted ways.

“I know this will be quite a shock to you but I had to come to some decision. I can’t go on as things are, I’m not satisfied with my work, I have lost a lot of zip and it will take time to regain it. I can’t keep you waiting around for me, I don’t know definitely when I will be out.

“I feel it’s a great pity after we had planned so much, but my mind’s made up.”

‘Message showed how close pair came to splitting up’

Hansons’ sale manager Victoria Sheppard described the letter as “a poignant message” showing “how close the pair came to splitting up”.

She went on: “Ernie explained that, with a very heavy heart, he wanted to break up the duo before they continued and became massive. He signed it ‘your best pal’. Thankfully that never happened.”

Of course, Morecambe and Wise stayed together. After first performing together on stage as teenagers, they got their own radio series in 1953, followed by a TV series the following year.

They would go on to become one of Britain’s biggest double acts, pulling in over 28 million viewers for their 1977 Christmas special.

Other items include famous glasses and Andre Previn sketch piano

The letter forms part of a collection being sold by Morecambe’s three children, Gail, Gary and Steven, collected from his former home, Brachefield in Harpenden, Hertfordshire.

Gary, 58, an author from London, said: “Our mother barely touched anything in the house after our father’s death. Hence, we have had everything quite literally under the same roof for 56 years.”

Other items being sold include Morecambe’s famous glasses, the piano he practised on to deliver a Morecambe and Wise Christmas special sketch with conductor Andre Previn and telegrams from the late Prince Philip and letters from Margaret Thatcher and fellow comics Ronnie Barker and Tommy Cooper.

The Eric Morecambe Collection – which is being sold as 700 separate lots – will go on sale at Hansons Auctioneers in Derbyshire on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 January 2025.