The popular party drug will become illegal beginning today (Picture: PA)
Possessing laughing gas with the intent of getting high is now illegal.
Now categorised as a class C drug, possession of nitrous oxide – nicknamed ‘hippy crack’ – for its ‘psychoactive effects’ will carry a sentence of up to two years in prison.
Dealers could face up to 14 years behind bars.
After a rampant increase in anti-social behaviour, authorities have begun a crackdown on the euphoric drug.
Festivals and high streets across the UK are often littered with dozens of the silver canisters after the weekend, but authorities are attempting to put a stop to it.
Unlimited fines, visible community service, a caution which would appear on their criminal record and jail time are among the punishments, the department said.
However, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs warned that the new laws could have unintended consequences, as users may not seek medical help for fear of jail time.
Inhaling the party drug has become incredibly popular in the last decade (Picture: Shutterstock)
The government has said the abuse of the drug in public and deaths could not be ignored.
However, those with legitimate reasons to use the substance – such as in maternity wards and catering – will be exempt from the ban.
Licences will not be required to carry nitrous oxide, but users will need to demonstrate they are lawfully in possession of the gas and not intending to wrongfully inhale it.
Community worker Naveed Sadiq told the BBC: ‘It’s not like cannabis or alcohol – with this nobody knows, it’s untraceable. A little bit of a giggle, and you go back home.’
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Health experts say the inhalent is safe in small doses – if used frequently, however, it’s a different story.
Heavy abuse of laughing gas can lead to health issues and resulted in one London woman becoming paralysed from overuse.
Kerry-Anne Donaldson, 26, from Newham, London, became addicted to the high of NOS at parties at the age of 18.
By the age of 21 her legs and feet went numb and she ended up in a wheelchair.
But she said: ‘I don’t think the law will get it off the streets. If someone wants it, there will always be a way to buy it.
‘Kids have always found a way to get illegal drugs, so I’m not sure it will actually stop them, but it should at least push up the prices and prevent overuse.’
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After a rampant increase in anti-social behaviour, authorities have begun a crackdown on the euphoric drug.