Festivalgoers, partiers, and even celebrities have all been seen inhaling nitrous oxide – marking a sudden rise in the popularity of those sampling the latest ‘legal high’.
But Lambeth Council has become the first in London to impose fines for anyone caught in possession or using nitrous oxide. Users will be given on the spot fines of £100 or face a penalty of up to £1,000 if the case is referred to magistrates.
The move by Lambeth Council comes as a response to the death of a South London teen whom was reportedly inhaling the gas at a party and subsequently died from heart failure.
Earlier this year gasworld featured a Hot Topic covering the government’s announcement in May that it would publish a Bill to introduce a blanket ban on such substances, which are often sold online or on the high street. Newsagents, corner shops and dedicated ‘head shops’ offer these substances openly, and in engaging packaging, and product names.
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