The UK's Ban On Nangs Is Set To Go Ahead

The Home Office of the UK are preparing to introduce a ban on nitrous oxide as a part of a widespread crackdown on anti-socialbehaviour.

Supplying nitrous oxide in the UK for recreational use is already illegal under 2016 legislation, but as the gas has real life uses, including producing whipped cream it is still widely available online. 

The plan to ban the canisters is being advocated by the home secretary, Suella Braverman which would lead to individuals who were caught with the nangs to face prosecution, similar to the laws surrounding cannabis. The law would still allow the gas to be possessed for legitimate reasons. 

Nitrous oxide produces a sense of euphoria and light headedness for a few minutes after inhaling it, causing a deliberate sense of impaired memory and dizziness for the users. Side effects include neurological problems by inacting vitamin B12, with doctors warning about an increase in spinal chord and nerve damage caused following frequent use. 

Moves to ban the drug were initially imposed in 2021, when the Home Secretary at the time Priti Patel asked the Independent Advisory Council to review the effects of the drug and ban it.

The Royal Society For Public Health opposed the move, telling The Guardian, “The government’s insistence on criminalisation and incarceration for minor drug offences worsens problems linked to illicit drug use, including social inequality and violence.

“The heavy-handed enforcement approach to drugs does nothing but spread fear among young people, prevents them from seeking the support they need, and unnecessarily drags them into the criminal justice system."