Young people exploiting a legal loophole to buy laughing gas online from eBay and Amazon are putting their lives at risk, police warned yesterday.
Thousands of canisters of the drug are being purchased via the web giants and resold at huge profit in balloons at nightclubs, bars and festivals, an expert said.
The gas is decanted from the canisters – which can cost around 30p each when bought in bulk – into the balloons and then sold for around £5 a time.
Laughing as canisters that being bought for as little as 30p a time online then resold at festivals and nightclubs for £5 a time, experts have warned
The Government outlawed the sale of nitrous oxide gas as a cheap ‘high’ under the Psychoactive Substances Act last year.
But Detective Constable Jamie Thompson, a drug expert for Cheshire Police, said legislation is proving difficult to implement because of vague exemptions.
The gas is still readily available to caterers as it is used to whip cream and create frothy coffees and few checks appear to be made on customers.
Mr Thompson said some users even try to claim they possess the gas for medical use, including one suspect found with 300 canisters.
‘You can go on Amazon and buy as many as you want,’ he said. ‘These canisters are used in catering and have a legitimate purpose, but it can be misused.
‘The mark up is high and profits are huge.’
The drug, which recreational users claim gives a brief sense of euphoria, has been linked to 17 deaths since 2006. Users can suffocate due to a lack of oxygen, and regular nitrous oxide use can lead to serious nerve damage.
The Home Office says retailers must ensure they only sell nitrous oxide to legitimate customers. But it is reviewing the legislation after two judges threw out cases because the gas could be interpreted as exempt, partly due to its ‘analgesic effects’.
The Daily Mail discovered a thriving trade in the canisters on eBay and Amazon, with few apparent checks taking place.
Experts are warning that legislation around the illegal consumption of nitrous oxide is proving difficult to enforce because the canisters have legitimate uses, such as making whipped cream
On eBay, one company in the north of England sells 50 canisters for £26.79, with almost 3,000 units sold. Packs of 600 cost £190 – around 30p each.
A merchant on Amazon sells ten canisters for £17.30 with free delivery.
Speaking at the Police Federation’s National Custody Seminar, Mr Thompson said the gas is banned for a reason. He added: ‘There have been some difficulties with court cases where it has been argued it is medication.
‘If it was administered in the back of an ambulance or a hospital I could understand this, but when it is being sold outside nightclubs in balloons probably not.
‘This is something for the judges to sort out but we are having difficulty getting any significant convictions for possession with intent to supply.’
The Home Office said 300 retailers have either closed down or are no longer selling psychoactive substances due to the new legislation.
A spokesman added: ‘Nitrous oxide is covered by the Psychoactive Substances Act and is illegal to supply for its psychoactive effect.
‘However, the Act provides an exemption for medical products. Whether a substance is covered by this exemption is ultimately one for a court to determine based on the circumstances of each individual case.’
An eBay spokesman said vendors are banned from listing nitrous oxide as ‘laughing gas’, highlighting its intoxicating effect or selling paraphernalia that allows it to be misused.
He said: ‘We work with regulators and the British Compressed Gases Association to ensure that all listings comply with the law.
‘There are blocks in place to prevent the listing of illegal items, and we also constantly monitor our marketplace to enforce this.’