Will the laughing gas madness go away? The consumption of hippie crack has declined in the past year, official data shows

Britain’s nitrous oxide craze may be dying down, official data suggest today.

A report by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that 3.9 per cent of 16-24 year olds in England have used nitrous oxide at least once in the past year.

It was less than half of the 8.7 percent who said they had the drug – nicknamed “hippie crack” – the year before and the lowest number on record.

The drug, which is usually inhaled in a balloon, has grown in popularity over the past decade, raising concern for its oxygen starvation effects.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that 3.9 per cent of 16-24 year olds in England have tried nitrous oxide at least once a year up to June. It was less than half of the 8.7 percent who said they had the drug – nicknamed “hippie crack” – the year before and the lowest number on record

Graphic shows percentage of 16-24 year olds who have used nitrous oxide (blue), cocaine (green) or ketamine (black) at least once a year in England

Graphic shows: 20 to 24 year olds (light blue) used the most drugs of all age groups in the year up to June 2022

The chart shows: Drug use was more than three times higher among adults who regularly went to nightclubs than among those who never went

Despite the decline in NOS, ONS data also showed that more people were taking ketamine over the year. It was the second-biggest jump of any drug other than methamphetamine.

About 4.1 percent of all under-60s said they had used the club drug at some point in their lives in the past year, up from 3 percent the year before.

Cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis all saw much smaller increases.

ONS data shows that from October 2021 to June 2022, nitrous oxide was most popular among girls aged 16 to 24.

About 4.6 percent of young women took the drug over the year, compared to 3.3 percent of their male counterparts.

Statisticians said the downturn may have been caused by the Covid pandemic, with the government’s social distancing restrictions limiting people’s exposure to drugs.

However, they offered no explanation as to why recreational use of ketamine — a tranquilizer for horses — increased over the year.

Laughing gas, popular at festivals, has become a popular recreational drug over the past decade.

Users inhale the colorless gas through balloons or canisters, which can cost as little as £25 for industrial-size containers.

The “high” sets in immediately, causing dizziness, relaxation, and giggling, and lasts an average of one to two minutes.

However, too much of it can cause users to pass out due to a lack of oxygen in the brain or suffocate when inhaling highly concentrated forms of the gas.

It can also cause dizziness, hallucinations, severe headaches and prevent you from thinking clearly – all of which interfere with driving.

Heavy and regular use can cause vitamin B12 deficiency and anemia.

The drug is legally available to commercial caterers for use in whipped cream dispensers and other applications.

But the silver canisters with the gas, which you can easily buy online, often end up in the hands of young people as recreational drugs.

Only possession with the intention of satisfying its intoxicating effects is currently illegal in the UK.

However, the Home Office is considering a stricter ban, which could make possession illegal.

Stricter laws could also be introduced to limit ease of purchase if the government decides to act.

ONS data showed that cannabis is still the most popular drug among 16-24 year olds, with 16.2 percent using it at least once a year.

This was followed by cocaine (4 percent), nitrous oxide (3.9 percent) and ketamine (3.1 percent).

The popularity of ketamine among the age group even declined slightly, from 3.2 percent in the previous year.

But across all age groups, use of the dangerous tranquilizer rose from 0.8 percent to 0.9 percent over the year.

Ketamine is an approved drug that is widely used as an anesthetic and for pain relief.

It is also used as a recreational drug and is classified as a Class B Prohibited Substance by the Home Office.

In other related news…

The parents of a heartbroken man who died of a drug overdose six years ago are once again calling for the legalization of narcotics after the death of a teenager at a nightclub

‘Smart and hardworking’ schoolgirl, 16, dies after taking ‘ecstasy’ with friends at nightclub

Alcoholics are given ketamine as part of therapy to see if the party drug helps them quit drinking

What is laughing gas and is it illegal?

Nitrous oxide has been nicknamed “laughing gas” because of the euphoric and relaxed feeling people who inhale it can sometimes feel.

The substance – also known as “hippie crack” – is usually bought in pressurized containers, which are usually placed in a container, such as a bottle. B. a balloon to be filled, from which the gas is inhaled.

Although possession of nitrous oxide is not illegal, English law prohibits its sale to under 18s if there is a possibility of them inhaling it.

Nitrous oxide canisters and cigarette butts litter a roadside in Camden Town on February 11

The effects of nitrous oxide vary depending on how much is inhaled, but they include:

• Feelings of euphoria, relaxation and calm.

• Dizziness, difficulty thinking clearly and giggling/laughing.

• Sound distortions or even hallucinations.

• Headaches can be an immediate unwanted effect for some people.

Risks include:

• Loss of consciousness or death from lack of oxygen. This occurs when the available oxygen for breathing is effectively displaced by the nitrous oxide.