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 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year ago

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

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[–] t0m5k1@lemmy.world 41 points 1 year ago (3 children)

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

[–] Tropic420@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 year ago

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

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[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 34 points 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year ago (4 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 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)
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[–] merridew@feddit.uk 30 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I won't miss seeing those cannisters littered around.

[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 35 points 1 year ago (20 children)

So why not make it legitimate with a deposit scheme?

[–] Blake@feddit.uk 32 points 1 year 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 1 year ago (1 children)

Nos isn't a substitute for weed...

[–] can@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 year ago

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

[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year 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@lemmynsfw.com 7 points 1 year 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 1 year 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.

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[–] can@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 year ago

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

[–] kool_newt@lemm.ee 21 points 1 year ago (4 children)

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

[–] Mex@feddit.uk 9 points 1 year ago

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

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

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

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[–] byroon@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

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

[–] GoodKingElliot@feddit.uk 14 points 1 year ago

I hate Cruella Braverman.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 11 points 1 year 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 1 year ago (4 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.

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[–] TankieTanuki@hexbear.net 9 points 1 year ago

Who's laughing now?

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

Protip: you can buy NO2 really cheap on Amazon.

[–] Bakkoda@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 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?

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[–] sirico@feddit.uk 7 points 1 year ago

So long patisserie chefs

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 7 points 1 year 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!

[–] aaaaaaadjsf@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Footballers are going to hate this. It's an easy way to get high (for fun, not for performance) without being busted on a drug test.

[–] lud@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Yeah, that's why it's being banned...

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[–] xXthrowawayXx@hexbear.net 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What gas will they use in the foamer?

[–] cosecantphi@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

It says they'll make exceptions for legitimate uses, I assume that includes making whipped cream. It'll probably just be much harder to legally get your hands on it unless you run a catering company or restaurant.

CO2 would cause the cream to sour as a result of it's acidity, and plain nitrogen isn't soluble enough, so it's probably not very easily replaced.

[–] xXthrowawayXx@hexbear.net 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Having served time in the cuisine mines, it’s not.

It’ll be interesting to see how they gate access. Can’t send the dishwasher out to get more in the middle of a rush, hes 17. Can’t send the line, shes got charges. Can’t send the server, they’re legally drunk.

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[–] Rouxibeau@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

How will this affect airsofters?

[–] jjakc@lemthony.com 11 points 1 year ago

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

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

Maybe for the guns.

[–] StarWarcherTim@artemis.camp 3 points 1 year 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 1 year 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

[–] AboyBboy@pawb.social 3 points 1 year ago

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

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