Smaller silver canisters holding around 8 grams of nitrous oxide are being swapped to a supersized version which holds around 80 times the size. Super-sized versions are riskier, experts say, because they can lead to people using higher quantities. High levels of exposure can result in spinal cord and nerve damage, because it causes a vitamin B12 deficiency.
The UK government recently announced plans to make the possession of laughing gas for recreational use a criminal offence. Nitrous oxide, also known as “nos”, is hugely popular among young people, and doctors have raised concerns about a rise in cases of nerve damage linked to the use of the drug. Ian Sample speaks to science correspondent Nicola Davis about the reasons behind the ban, the risks associated with using nitrous oxide and what experts have made of the government’s decision. Help support our independent journalism at
theguardian.com/sciencepod