Is there a nitrous oxide problem in your area

[jbf19]

See many nitrous oxide canisters thrown everywhere. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/thousands-huge-laughing-gas-canisters-28367630.amp It’s also called laughing gas or nos or hippy crack.

Its main way of consumption is inflating balloons with nos then inhaling the balloon.

It’s a class C drug which from Nov 2023 is illegal to produce, sell for recreational purposes. Nos is used legally for whipping cream and anaesthetic.

My friends that do litter picking together, think that these Turkish barbers are selling the canisters in the back.

Have you noticed the increase in damaged streets signs, road signs, barriers etc that have been driven into them? Have seen people doing hippy crack whilst driving! Hold the canister between legs whilst sucking out the nos from a balloon. Driving under the influence of nos is worse than alcohol. Impairs judgement and reflexes. We also believe that not seen many road signs etc damaged before we started to see the canisters.

Also we have seen about 40 of these canisters in one area. They appeared overnight. These cost £20-£24 each. About £850 worth!

The users drop them everywhere. Even saw one being chucked out of a car window on an approach to a motorway!

I cycle a lot and the sides of roads in certain areas are littered with discarded nitrous oxide containers. In our quiet residential street, I’ve seen a young man drive past with an inflated balloon in his gob. One reason nitrous oxide is so popular with scumbags who drive is that it can’t be detected in the body, there’s no roadside test that can prove someone’s inhaled it. This means there are no legal consequences for driving under its influence. If you cause an accident while driving on nitrous oxide, you won’t face the same consequences that you’d face if you caused an accident under the influence of alcohol or other recreational drugs. I don’t think people appreciate how widespread this problem is.

We used to see empty metal canisters all over the place a few years ago where we live, but now we never do.

Last year there was a dealer on our street and the road was littered with the small shiny cannisters - they'd sit out on the kerb and all you could hear was constant hissing. He's been moved on, and the problem has moved to the next street, which is littered with those larger cannisters.
There was also a spice dealer, and you'd regularly see his clients sat out in their car looking like corpses. The first time I nearly called emergency services because I didn't realise they weren't dead.

Seems like a lot going on at Glastonbury..

I was given it whilst having some dental treatment at the Hospital years ago and there is an amazing care-free, joyous feeling where nothing matters.

I would never use it, nor any drug, for recreational purposes though

Bloody hell. Is this the same stuff used in gas and air for childbirth? I couldn't imagine trying to drive while off my face on that, I was well out of it during labour. I've never seen any of those canisters but I'm in quite a community-minded if impoverished area, so maybe other people are just picking them up rapidly?

Gas and air (Entonox) is a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide, it isn't as strong as the stuff in the cannisters!

See 1st post. See them tossed on roads and parks.

Oh my word! I drove my daughter back to her halls of residence after Christmas and saw a load of canisters. That’s what they were for?! Grim.