Shoreditch seizure of legal high laughing gas canisters

Over the weekend a man in Shoreditch found himself under arrest for allegedly being in possession of the legal high known as laughing gas.

The arrest was made by two police officers on patrol in the east London district of Hackney. Scotland Yard has yet to confirm what offence the man was suspected of committing; however, laughing gas is a legal high that is now banned under Theresa May’s Psychoactive Substances Bill, which became law last week.

Laughing gas (nitrous oxide) can still be sold for legitimate purposes, such as preserving whipped cream and blowing up helium balloons; however, it is a banned substance when sold as a psychoactive chemical. The new legislation means that anyone found selling laughing gas for use as a recreational drug could spend up to seven years in jail.

Last year south London introduced a dispersal zone to prevent people inhaling nitrous oxide following complaints about anti-social behaviour. Laughing gas induces a feeling of euphoria; however, it can also cause suffocation.

The Talk to Frank drugs website states: “There is a risk of death as a lack of oxygen can occur when using nitrous oxide. This risk is likely to be greater if the gas is consumed in an enclosed space or if a substantial amount is rapidly used.”