this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2023
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There will be exemptions for legitimate uses of nitrous oxide, for example in medical or catering industries. The gas is commonly used as a painkiller and for producing whipped cream in cooking.

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[–] cruel_excess@lemmy.world 96 points 2 years ago (4 children)

So, according to the article, supplying Nitrous for recreational use is already illegal. If it is such a big problem, what is banning possession going to do other than ruin more lives? It is kind of wild that this is the solution they came up with given the history of drug prohibition worldwide and the fact that UK is one of the originators of harm reduction.

Sigh.... making the same mistakes and expecting different results when plenty of research out there shows that treating poverty and depression does more to reduce drug use and other risky/antisocial behaviour than putting people in jail for it.

The article also mentions that the majority of people who use it are between 16 and 24 years old. Great way to end up with hardened criminals down the line.

[–] thehatfox@lemmy.world 24 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Most of our political establishment is still in complete denial about the failure of the war on drugs. They keep doubling down on prohibition because they can’t accept it doesn’t work.

I’m not sure what or who it will take to wake up Westminster to the reality. Those few that have tried to change the course, such as David Nutt, have had little success. The Liberal Democrats still have cannabis legalisation as a policy, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they step back from that as they eye up more traditionally Tory seats (if they haven’t already).

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 5 points 2 years ago

I wish they would just make cannabis legal, and then just not make a big thing of it. It's such a non-policy when you think about it, "oh we're going to stop criminalising people who've barely done anything wrong, aren't we wonderful".

They view every policy as something that will either gain them votes or lose them votes so the idea of just doing something quietly is alien to them.

[–] BarrelAgedBoredom@lemm.ee 8 points 2 years ago

Prohibition works! (for people who profit off the misery of others)

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[–] t0m5k1@lemmy.world 41 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Yaaaay another black market. Just what the government needs, gotta keep the black budget funded.

[–] Tropic420@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 2 years ago

Who wouldnt want criminals to have a Monopoly on drug trade?

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[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 34 points 2 years ago (1 children)

So...

You'll still be able to buy it "for whip cream"...

It's just now cops will be able to arrest you for it if you have it now.

That's not exactly a ban, and it's not going to make it any harder to obtain.

[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 13 points 2 years ago (1 children)

So in other words it isn't even necessarily something they can convict for. Strawberries and whipped cream at the park anyone?

[–] AnyOldName3@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

You're going to at least have to be seeing a mate that owns the equipment to use it for cream at the park. If you just stick it in a pot and let rip, you're going to spray non-whipped cream everywhere, which I bet would mean a court wouldn't consider it reasonable doubt.

[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 9 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)
[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Does the UK not have a "beyond a reasonable doubt" requirement? How the hell are they going to prove beyond a reasonable doubt it was going to be misused unless they literally witnessed the act? As long as you don't say anything, you could have purchased it for anyone or anything.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

You're applying brains and logic to a situation where they were never deployed.

There's a fairly high chance that this law will never be enacted anyway. Given the current political situation we may have a new government by February 2024.

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[–] merridew@feddit.uk 26 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I won't miss seeing those cannisters littered around.

[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 26 points 2 years ago (20 children)

So why not make it legitimate with a deposit scheme?

[–] Blake@feddit.uk 32 points 2 years ago (2 children)

And even better, also legalise drugs like weed which these are being used as a legal substitute for?

[–] Lazylazycat@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Nos isn't a substitute for weed...

[–] can@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 years ago

Neither is alcohol. But with freer access to cannabis in Canada fewer are drinking as much.

[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Absolutely, although I wouldn't say NOS is substituted for weed all that much. Also, the legal limit for weed and driving should be raised, particularly since the government asked the scientific community where the level of impairment was and then set it lower.

[–] Worx 7 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I'm in favour of legalising drugs, but driving is dangerous and should only be done when you are sober and able to give your full attention.

[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 5 points 2 years ago

Absolutely, however if the level of intoxication is below the level of impairment, then the drug is not having a negative effect on driving.

[–] Tropic420@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 2 years ago

We have this discussion currently about Weed in Germany. Its so annoying to See articles with headlines Like "cannabis behind the wheel" etc. Noone ist advocating for people to Drive under the influence. But If i smoked a Joint on friday and get stopped on monday, i'll lose my drivers license even though im sober. Drugs stay in your system way longer than the actual effect.

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[–] can@sh.itjust.works 12 points 2 years ago

Won't miss it because they'll continue to be littered around?

[–] byroon@lemmy.world 20 points 2 years ago (1 children)

"There will be exemptions for legitimate uses of nitrous oxide" Legitimate just means legal so this sentence is saying it will be legal to use it in a legal way... Pretty stupid

[–] h3mlocke@lemm.ee 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

No, but it will be illegal to use it illegally.

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[–] byroon@lemmy.world 17 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Cannabis is being legalised across America and in Germany. Meanwhile Tories are trying to expand the failed war on drugs

[–] kool_newt@lemm.ee 14 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Sounds like a new way to criminalize young people. Not from UK, can this be used to disenfranchise people?

[–] Mex@feddit.uk 5 points 2 years ago

Of course our government lives disenfranchising young people, they don't vote conservative.

[–] mounderfod@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Unless you're in prison or you were convicted of some kind of voter fraud, you can vote

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[–] GoodKingElliot@feddit.uk 12 points 2 years ago

I hate Cruella Braverman.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I feel like it's actually kind of already an illicit substance and therefore illegal.

So at this point they're just making laws to make things that are already illegal more illegal but it doesn't matter because none of them are enforced anyway.

[–] BirdyBoogleBop@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

You can go online and buy as much laughing gas as you want for your whipping cream needs. Sounds like they are banning that at the end of the year.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 2 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Will they even still be in power at the end of the year? I think they're just saying this for the sake of saying something.

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[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 7 points 2 years ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


The government's decision to make possession a crime goes against recommendations from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, which advised against new laws to ban nitrous oxide.

Announcing the law change on Tuesday, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said people in the UK were "fed up with yobs abusing drugs in public spaces and leaving behind a disgraceful mess for others to clean up".

The government's crime and policing minister Chris Philp said: "There is no question that abusing laughing gas is dangerous to people's health and it is paramount we take decisive action before the situation gets worse.

Prof David Nutt, from Imperial College London's department of medicine, previously said there was around about one death per year in the UK from around one million nitrous oxide users.

Repeated hits of nitrogen dioxide can deplete body levels of an important vitamin called B12, which, in turn, can cause permanent nerve damage.

It can affect both the spinal cord and the nerves in arms and legs, causing loss of feeling, abnormal sensations and muscle weakness or even full paralysis.


The original article contains 917 words, the summary contains 180 words. Saved 80%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] AdmiralShat@programming.dev 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Protip: you can buy NO2 really cheap on Amazon.

[–] Bakkoda@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

I use it for my nitro cold brew. Am I gonna have to break laws just to continue drinking my own nitro cold brew?

[–] beeng@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Don't you want N2? Nitrogen? Not N2O (nitrous oxide)?

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[–] sirico@feddit.uk 3 points 2 years ago

So long patisserie chefs

[–] Rouxibeau@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

How will this affect airsofters?

[–] jjakc@lemthony.com 11 points 2 years ago

Airsoft uses green gas (propane), CO2 or compressed air.

[–] _xDEADBEEF@lemm.ee 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] Manifish_Destiny@lemmy.world 20 points 2 years ago

Maybe for the guns.

[–] AboyBboy@pawb.social 3 points 2 years ago

I need Nos. One of these big ones. Actually, make that 2. And Harry, I need it by tonight.

[–] StarWarcherTim@artemis.camp 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Is this the same NOS used to give dragsters a boost? Ok, that is illegal on most streets but a legitimate use on certain tracks.

[–] Revan343@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 years ago

This is about its use as a drug, rather than its use in racing.

Also, I'd imagine racing NOS isn't as pure as the food-grade NOS people use recreationally

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