UK’s drug advisory panel reject calls to ban nitrous oxide

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs refuses to prohibit recreational use of laughing gas despite Home Office stance

The UK’s drug advisory panel has has rejected calls to ban the sale and possession of nitrous oxide for recreational use, despite the Home Office’s eagerness to do so, a new report has revealed.

While supplying nitrous oxide for its psychoactive purposes is already banned, laughing gas or “nos” remains hugely popular among young people – with its growing use throwing concerns about possible associated health and social problems into the spotlight.