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To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) arrests, (b) charges, (c) cautions and (d) convictions relating to the unlawful possession, supply or production of nitrous oxide have been recorded since the substance became a Class C drug, broken down by police force area.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) arrests, (b) charges, (c) cautions and (d) convictions relating to the unlawful possession, supply or production of nitrous oxide have been recorded since the substance became a Class C drug, broken down by police force area.
Data on the prevalence of misuse of nitrous oxide is published by the Office for National Statistics, through the Crime Survey for England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025, 0.5% of 16- to 59-year-olds in England and Wales reported using nitrous oxide in the last year. This is the lowest proportion of nitrous oxide users reported in the Crime Survey for England and Wales and the reported proportion of users has reduced each year since the substance became a Class C drug. Data is available here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/articles/drugmisuseinenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2025 There is no data available on the sale of nitrous oxide. The availably of the requested enforcement data relating to the unlawful possession, supply or production of nitrous oxide is detailed below: (a) The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests in England and Wales as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ statistical series, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/stop-and-search-arrests-and-mental-health-detentions-march-2025. However, the data on arrests is collected by Home Office Crime Recording offence group only, for example ‘Drug Offences’. Data on arrests specifically for unlawful possession, supply or production of nitrous oxide is not available. (b and c) The Home Office will publish granular data on police recorded drug offences and their investigative outcomes including charges and cautions for unlawful possession, supply or production of nitrous oxide offences on the 23rd of July 2026. This will be available by police force area. (d) The Ministry of Justice publishes convictions data, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly-december-2025. The ‘All-Offences prosecutions and convictions: December 2025’ tables include all convictions by police force area for unlawful possession, supply or production of nitrous oxide. Since nitrous oxide became a Class C drug, there have been 820 convictions, with 763 of these being for possession. |
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in the prevalence of the sale and misuse of nitrous oxide canisters since the introduction of the ban under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; and if she will publish data on enforcement...
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in the prevalence of the sale and misuse of nitrous oxide canisters since the introduction of the ban under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; and if she will publish data on enforcement...
Data on the prevalence of misuse of nitrous oxide is published by the Office for National Statistics, through the Crime Survey for England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025, 0.5% of 16- to 59-year-olds in England and Wales reported using nitrous oxide in the last year. This is the lowest proportion of nitrous oxide users reported in the Crime Survey for England and Wales and the reported proportion of users has reduced each year since the substance became a Class C drug. Data is available here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/articles/drugmisuseinenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2025 There is no data available on the sale of nitrous oxide. The availably of the requested enforcement data relating to the unlawful possession, supply or production of nitrous oxide is detailed below: (a) The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests in England and Wales as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ statistical series, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/stop-and-search-arrests-and-mental-health-detentions-march-2025. However, the data on arrests is collected by Home Office Crime Recording offence group only, for example ‘Drug Offences’. Data on arrests specifically for unlawful possession, supply or production of nitrous oxide is not available. (b and c) The Home Office will publish granular data on police recorded drug offences and their investigative outcomes including charges and cautions for unlawful possession, supply or production of nitrous oxide offences on the 23rd of July 2026. This will be available by police force area. (d) The Ministry of Justice publishes convictions data, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly-december-2025. The ‘All-Offences prosecutions and convictions: December 2025’ tables include all convictions by police force area for unlawful possession, supply or production of nitrous oxide. Since nitrous oxide became a Class C drug, there have been 820 convictions, with 763 of these being for possession. |
Last week I visited Red Industries in my constituency and heard that discarded nitrous oxide canisters are becoming an increasingly common waste stream. Residents and litter pickers feel and see the same, with canisters strewn across parks and incidents of antisocial behaviour. Will the Leader of the House make time...
Last week I visited Red Industries in my constituency and heard that discarded nitrous oxide canisters are becoming an increasingly common waste stream. Residents and litter pickers feel and see the same, with canisters strewn across parks and incidents of antisocial behaviour. Will the Leader of the House make time...
It is very much at the forefront of the Government’s thinking that we want not only to clean up local communities, but to put in their hands the powers to do so. If the right hon. Lady seeks a Backbench Business debate or a Westminster Hall debate, I am sure...
It is very much at the forefront of the Government’s thinking that we want not only to clean up local communities, but to put in their hands the powers to do so. If the right hon. Lady seeks a Backbench Business debate or a Westminster Hall debate, I am sure...
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the prohibition on nitrous oxide in reducing anti-social behaviour associated with its misuse.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the prohibition on nitrous oxide in reducing anti-social behaviour associated with its misuse.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to police forces on the enforcement of offences relating to nitrous oxide; and whether she plans to update that guidance.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to police forces on the enforcement of offences relating to nitrous oxide; and whether she plans to update that guidance.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the extent to which retailers continue to sell nitrous oxide canisters for unlawful recreational use; and what steps her Department is taking to prevent such sales.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the extent to which retailers continue to sell nitrous oxide canisters for unlawful recreational use; and what steps her Department is taking to prevent such sales.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with online marketplaces and retailers on preventing the sale of nitrous oxide canisters where there are reasonable grounds to suspect they are intended for unlawful recreational use.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with online marketplaces and retailers on preventing the sale of nitrous oxide canisters where there are reasonable grounds to suspect they are intended for unlawful recreational use.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the availability of nitrous oxide canisters through social media platforms and online marketplaces; and what discussions she has had with those platforms on removing content promoting their unlawful recreational use.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the availability of nitrous oxide canisters through social media platforms and online marketplaces; and what discussions she has had with those platforms on removing content promoting their unlawful recreational use.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the prevalence of nitrous oxide misuse among people aged (a) under 18, (b) 18 to 24 and (c) over 24 years.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the prevalence of nitrous oxide misuse among people aged (a) under 18, (b) 18 to 24 and (c) over 24 years.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department are taking to help tackle the discarding in the environment of nitrous oxide canisters.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department are taking to help tackle the discarding in the environment of nitrous oxide canisters.
It is an offence to illegally dispose of cannisters. Local councils have legal powers to take enforcement action against offenders. Anyone caught littering may be prosecuted in a magistrates’ court, which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £2,500 on conviction. Instead of prosecuting, councils may decide to issue a fixed penalty (on-the-spot fine) of up to £500.
Guidance to councils and others on the use of their fixed penalty powers for littering and related offences is available at: Litter enforcement powers - when and how to use them - GOV.UK.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her department is taking to tackle the illegal use of nitrous oxide.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her department is taking to tackle the illegal use of nitrous oxide.
Nitrous Oxide was controlled in November 2023 as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Under the 1971 Act, it is an offence to produce, supply, offer to supply, possess, possess with intent to supply, import and export nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide carries penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment for illicit possession and up to 14 years’ imprisonment for illicit supply.
Enforcement activity on nitrous oxide has increased. In the year ending March 2025, Police and Border Force made 6,223 seizures of nitrous oxide in England and Wales, the highest number recorded since the time series began in year ending March 2018.
Under section 4 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, a person commits an offence if their ability to drive is impaired by drugs, including nitrous oxide. Police have powers to act where impairment is suspected.
The Online Safety Act requires platforms to assess and mitigate risks relating to illegal content, including the unlawful sale of controlled drugs such as nitrous oxide, with Ofcom holding strong enforcement powers.
Data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales suggests that the use of nitrous oxide decreased among those aged 16 to 59 from 0.9% the previous year to 0.5% in the year ending March 2025. This is equivalent to a reduction from an estimated 311,000 users to 151,000.
The Government will continue to keep the legislation under review; however, there are currently no plans to introduce further regulation of the sale of nitrous oxide canisters.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to further regulate the sale of nitrous oxide cannisters.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to further regulate the sale of nitrous oxide cannisters.
Since November 2023, nitrous oxide has been controlled as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Under the Act, it is an offence to produce, supply, offer to supply, possess, possess with intent to supply, import or export nitrous oxide where it is intended for wrongful inhalation. This applies to all sizes of canister. Illicit possession of nitrous oxide carries a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment and illicit supply carries a penalty of up to 14 years’ imprisonment.
According to data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, since the introduction of these controls use of nitrous oxide has decreased with prevalence among 16- to 59-year-olds falling from 0.9% to 0.5% in the year ending March 2025. Among 16- to 24-year-olds, use has fallen to its lowest level since records began.
The Government will continue to keep the legislation under review but there are no current plans to introduce further regulation of the sale of nitrous oxide.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the misuse of nitrous oxide canisters sold for catering purposes on the environment; and if she will consider introducing a deposit-return scheme for such canisters to reduce littering...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the misuse of nitrous oxide canisters sold for catering purposes on the environment; and if she will consider introducing a deposit-return scheme for such canisters to reduce littering...
No assessment has been made of the potential impact of the misuse of nitrous oxide canisters on the environment and we are not considering a deposit return scheme for such canisters.
It’s an offence to illegally dispose of nitrous oxide cannisters. Local councils have legal powers to take enforcement action against offenders. Anyone caught littering nitrous oxide canisters may be prosecuted in a magistrates’ court, which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £2,500 on conviction. Instead of prosecuting, councils may decide to issue a fixed penalty (on-the-spot fine) of up to £500.
Guidance to councils and others on the use of their fixed penalty powers for littering and related offences is available at: Litter enforcement powers - when and how to use them - GOV.UK
Motion to consider. Agreed to on question.
Motion to consider. Agreed to on question.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) local authorities and (b) police forces in tackling the misuse of nitrous oxide in public places and the associated littering of discarded canisters.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) local authorities and (b) police forces in tackling the misuse of nitrous oxide in public places and the associated littering of discarded canisters.
The Government is aware of concerns about nitrous oxide misuse in public places and littering of discarded canisters, which places a burden on communities and local authorities.
Nitrous oxide has been controlled as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 since 2023. Under the 1971 Act, nitrous oxide carries penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment for illicit possession and up to 14 years for illicit supply. Exemptions for legitimate use are applicable where there is no intention of wrongful inhalation. The police and other law enforcement agencies are operationally independent, but we expect them to prioritise resources towards tackling crime, including drug related crime.
Local authorities are responsible for clearing litter from public and have powers to prosecute littering offenders or issue fixed penalty notices. Littering is a criminal offence punishable by a fine of up to £2,500 on conviction, or a fixed penalty of up to £500.
Additionally, the Government is increasing funding for waste crime enforcement and continues to work with police, councils and partners to discourage misuse, support enforcement and reduce associated environmental harm.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve enforcement against (a) people and (b) businesses supplying nitrous oxide unlawfully.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve enforcement against (a) people and (b) businesses supplying nitrous oxide unlawfully.
Nitrous oxide has been controlled as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 since 2023. It is an offence to produce, supply, possess or import nitrous oxide, regardless of canister size, except for activities explicitly exempt under the 1971 Act.
Under the 1971 Act, nitrous oxide carries penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment for illicit possession and up to 14 years for illicit supply. Exemptions for legitimate use are applicable where there is no intention of wrongful inhalation. The police and other law enforcement agencies are operationally independent, but we expect them to prioritise resources towards tackling crime, including drug related crime.
The Government also works to reduce harm through public information campaigns, including the 'Talk to FRANK' website. The Home Office works closely with the Department of Health and Social Care ('DHSC') to promote awareness. DHSC have worked with the PSHE Association to develop lesson plans on drugs, alcohol and tobacco which include specific references to the dangers of nitrous oxide. Data shows that recreational use of nitrous oxide among 16 to 24‑year‑olds has fallen to its lowest level since records began.
Online sale of illegal drugs is further addressed through the Online Safety Act 2023. Under the 2023 Act, Ofcom can audit systems, require remedial action, and impose strong penalties on companies who fail to address criminality on their platforms - including fines of up to £18m or 10% of global turnover.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase public awareness of the health risks associated with inhaling nitrous oxide.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase public awareness of the health risks associated with inhaling nitrous oxide.
The Department has worked with the Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Association to develop lesson plans on drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, which include specific references to the dangers of nitrous oxide. The lesson plans target primary and secondary students, teaching them how to manage influences and pressure, and keep themselves healthy and safe. They are available at the following link:
https://pshe-association.org.uk/drugeducation
The Government also has a drug and information and advice service called Talk to FRANK, which aims to reduce drug and alcohol misuse and its harms by providing awareness to young people, parents, and concerned others. Information on nitrous oxide and the danger of its misuse is available at the following link:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the unlawful (a) sale and (b) supply of nitrous oxide.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the unlawful (a) sale and (b) supply of nitrous oxide.
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2023 came into force on 8 November 2023, classifying nitrous oxide as a Class C drug. It is illegal to produce, supply, import or export nitrous oxide where a person knows, or is reckless as to whether, it will be consumed for its psychoactive effects. The Home Office is responsible for drug policy and legislation.
Schedule 20 to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act 2024 includes a provision prohibiting advertisements directly encouraging children to buy, or persuade their parents or other adults to buy, products for them. This prohibits retailers from advertising nitrous oxide to those under the age of 18 across any medium, including online.
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.
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.
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.