NDLEA To Wage War On Nitrous Oxide Aka ‘laughing Gas’

The Chairman/CEO of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), has directed all commands and formations of the Agency to begin an immediate crackdown on the illegal sale and use of nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, following its abuse by people who use it for recreational purposes.

According to a statement issued today by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, nitrous oxide is a colourless gas that is often used for sedation and pain treatment, particularly by dentists and medical professionals to calm patients undergoing minor medical operations. It is quickly becoming as a substance in demand in Nigeria among young partygoers or fun-seekers who want to feel inebriated or high. It is commonly referred to as laughing gas or N20. The gas is normally moved from its cylinders into balloons and inhaled for euphoric effects.

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In a statement issued on Tuesday, July 11th, the NDLEA stated that the decision to crack down on those involved in the illegal sale and use of nitrous oxide stems from an analysis of the effects on those who abuse the substance, which include: dizziness; disorientation, headache; lightheadedness; fainting spells; hallucinations; falling unconscious and/or suffocating from lack of oxygen; and other neurological complications, particularly psychiatric symptoms.

The Agency stated that until other measures are taken in consultation with other stakeholders, particularly the Federal Ministry of Health, to curb the menace, it will not hesitate to use the big stick against anyone involved in the illegal sale or use of nitrous oxide, regardless of social status, in the overall interest of public health.

It encourages parents, guardians, and other stakeholders to be watchful, alert, and warn their children from experimenting with or abusing the substance, which endangers their mental and general well-being.

This comes just 24 hours after a Nigerian doctor chastised musician Olamide for posting a photo with a canister of Nitrous Oxide in the backdrop.