Nitrous Oxide

Lord Storey Excerpts

Monday 13th April 2026 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Storey]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the (1) extent, and (2) risks, of use of nitrous oxide gas by young people.

[The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Hanson of Flint) (Lab)]

The use of nitrous oxide among those aged 16 to 24 in England and Wales decreased from an estimated 194,000 users in the year ending March 2024 to 80,000 users in the following year. That is the lowest since records began in 2013. The Government provide information to the public on the risks of using nitrous oxide, including on the drug information website Talk to FRANK. The risks of using nitrous oxide are severe.

[Lord Storey (LD)]

I am grateful for the Minister’s reply. As he knows, it is illegal for anybody under 18 to purchase nitrous oxide, but there is a growing trend in our cities and towns where drug pushers buy dozens and dozens of cannisters of nitrous oxide and fill balloons with them to market and sell to young people. The cannisters are then dumped in parklands, grass spaces and back alleys, which is dangerous to the environment and particularly to young children. Do the Government have a strategy for dealing with this problem?

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

It is a very real problem. The noble Lord will know that the legislation to ensure that we put nitrous oxide on the controlled list, passed in 2023, has reduced the level of usage as a whole. I am also pleased to report that in the year September 2024 to September 2025, there were 242 convictions for the supply of nitrous oxide, with 234 sentences to date and some still outstanding for sentence. The Government’s strategy is to make sure we clamp down on this; it is not acceptable, and the legislation should be enforced. It is also very important that we have education for young people, particularly in schools.