Posters advertising 24-hour delivery of ‘NOS’ (nitrous oxide) around Leeds are to be removed.

In a statement exclusively obtained by The Gryphon, a spokesperson from Leeds City Council said, ‘Although we do not own or manage these advertising sites we do work closely with the company that does and have been in discussions with them regarding the appropriateness of these posters. They have now arranged for them to be removed.’

The sale of nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, for recreational use is prohibited by UK law. However, its’ sale for catering purposes, for example when used in making whipped cream or soda water, is not included under this legislation.

One student who has used nitrous oxide said, ‘It makes you feel carefree, giggly and tingly, I know there are risks but it doesn’t really feel dangerous because the effects are over so quickly’.

There are dangers involved in inhaling NOS as a party drug. In 2012, 17 year old art student Joseph Benett suffered a cardiac arrest after inhaling nitrous oxide.

On their website, the Home Office state that, ‘Nitrous oxide is a legal substance that has a number of legitimate medical and industrial uses, but any suggestion of abuse, particularly by young people, is of concern. Like all drugs there are health risks, and nitrous oxide should not be experimented with.’

It has become popular in universities across the country and the dealing of nitrous oxide can prove to be lucrative. Home Office figures show that 470,000 adults used NOS recreationally in 2014.

Josie Hough