Police issue laughing gas warning to youngsters after empty cannisters found in Broughton
Police in Flintshire are warning youngsters of the dangers of inhaling nitrous oxide which is commonly known as laughing gas.
South Flintshire police team found over a dozen empty small metal cylinders which would have contained doses of nitrous oxide at the Old Warren in Broughton.
Nitrous oxide has several legitimate uses in medicine and dentistry. It is also used as a fuel additive and as a component of rocket fuel, and is sold as an aerosol spray propellant within whipped cream cannisters.
Products include small canisters in large packs, each enough for a recreational dose, and paraphernalia such as ‘creamers’ or ‘crackers’. These dispense the gas from canisters into balloons, which are used to inhale the gas
The gas can cause dizziness and therefore impair your judgement putting users at risk.
When laughing gas is inhaled, it removes the oxygen from users lungs and replaces it with nitrous oxide, this can cause unconsciousness or death due to a lack of oxygen. Mixing alcohol with nitrous oxide can be fatal.
An update on the South Flintshire police team Facebook page states:
“WARNING Nitrous oxide canisters (laughing gas) found up the Old Warren in Broughton. Young people are inhaling potentially lethal gasses, these dangers are heightened by this extreme Hot weather.
Please educate your children on the dangers of inhaling substances.”
The Psychoactive Substances Act of 2016 has made it illegal for anyone to sell nitrous oxide:
“For the purposes of this Act, a person consumes a substance if a person causes or allows the substance or fumes given off by the substance to enter the person’s body in any way.”
The above definition will cover substances such as Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) which has previously been difficult to control under criminal law.
This substance has become a psychoactive substance under the Act.
Call 101 if you have any information which may help police.
