Michael Gove confirms government set to ban Laughing Gas

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Michael Gove has said the Government plans to ban the sale of laughing gas. The Communities Secretary said the move was to stop public areas being turned into drug-taking “arenas”.

Asked on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme whether nitrous oxide would be banned, Mr Gove said: “Yes.

“I think any of us who have had the opportunity to walk through our parks in our major cities will have seen these little canisters, these silver canisters which are examples of people not only despoiling public spaces but also people taking a drug which can have a psychological and neurological affect and one that contributes to anti-social behaviour overall.”

He said ministers had not yet decided at what drug classification level laughing gas would be set at.

Mr Gove added: “We want to make sure the sale and use can be restricted for its appropriate purpose.

“We can’t have a situation, we mustn’t have a situation where our parks, our public spaces become drug-taking arenas.

“And that is why we need to crack down on new manifestations of drug taking and these laughing gas canisters are an increasing scourge and one that has been reported to me as a constituency MP.”

Mr Gove accepted that ministers had been advised not to ban laughing gas but said the Government had taken a different view.

The Cabinet minister, who has previously admitted taking cocaine, said he had learned through his own experience that it was a “mistake” to “regard drug taking as somehow acceptable”.

Meanwhile, shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said Labour also backs a ban on laughing gas.

She said: “I think we want to see it banned as well because I think it does cause a huge amount of littering, of disruption and of anti-social behaviour challenges as well.”

It comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is due to announce his plan to tackle anti-social behaviour on Monday.

A key plank of the measures will be making justice “immediate” and ensuring that communities can visibly see efforts to clean up vandalism and graffiti.

Speaking ahead of the plan’s publication, the PM said: “For too long, people have put up with the scourge of anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhoods.

“These are not minor crimes. They disrupt people’s daily lives, hold businesses back and erode the sense of safety and community that brings people together.

“That’s why I’m bringing forward a new plan to crack down on this behaviour once and for all – so that everyone can feel proud of where they live.”

Mr Sunak will announce an approach known as immediate justice to be piloted in 10 areas before a rollout across England and Wales next year.

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