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Laughing gas possession could become a criminal offence, following ‘concerning’ rise in use
Whilst it is not currently a crime to possess the drug, it is illegal to sell nitrous oxide for its psychoactive effects under the 2016 Psychoactive Substances Act
It has been suggested that the UK government is considering making laughing gas possession a criminal offence.
According to reports in The Independent, Home Secretary Priti Patel is touting "tough action" against nitrous oxide and is currently seeking advice on whether to criminalise possession of the drug.
The Home Secretary has reportedly asked the independent Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to assess the harm done by nitrous oxide, in a move that has already been branded a “waste of time” by drug experts and "baffling" by one of her own MPs.
Meanwhile, the Home Office has defended the move - justifying that it has come in response to a “concerning” rise in nitrous oxide use among young people.
As defined by FRANK, nitrous oxide is “a colourless gas most commonly found in pressurised metal canisters [which] you may have seen lying around in streets outside bars and nightclubs”.
The latest annual crime survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that nitrous oxide is the second most-used drug among 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK and that half a million in that age group used it from 2019-2020.
Still, there seems to be some mixed messaging regarding the use, with the ONS also stating that the proportion of young people using nitrous oxide in England and Wales has been the same for the past four years.
Elsewhere, a report by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) suggested that there was “a visible mark of the increasing incidence of nitrous oxide (N2O) misuse” since the first COVID-19 lockdown began.
Nitrous oxide was last reviewed by the ACMD six years ago.
The body concluded at the time that it did not warrant control under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, but the ACMD’s new review could recommend more education on the substance for young people, or tougher punishments for those who supply it.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said government ministers “stand ready to take action” if the ACMD recommends further restrictions on the drug.
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Leeds Bradford Airport set for complete ‘shutdown’ as 130 workers go on strike
Leeds Bradford Airport is set for a standstill as almost 130 workers are set to take industrial action over pay.
If you're planning on catching a flight from Leeds Bradford Airport, then you may want to double check the date.
The Unite members planning on going on strike are a mixture of air traffic control workers, customer experience staff, security staff and cleaners.
The workers involved in the dispute have recently come out of a four-year pay deal, with some of the departments having fallen behind other airports in equivalent roles.
Pay talks have been happening since December 2025, with the airport's formal offer not going far enough to address the lack of pay parity.
Strikes will take place from 03:00 Friday 16 October to 06:00 Sunday 18 October for hourly paid staff and from 06:00 Friday 16 October to 06:00 Sunday 18 October for air traffic control workers.
Strike will mean the entire airport will shut down.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Leeds Bradford Airport is very profitable and can more than afford to come back to the table with an offer that doesn't fall short of our members' expectations.
"Our hardworking members should not be paid less than those doing the same jobs at other airports. Workers taking action at Leeds Bradford Airport have Unite's full support in their fight for fairer pay."
Unite regional officer Neil Whitaker said: "We know people who have flights planned to and from Leeds Bradford Airport will be concerned to hear of industrial action, however our members have no choice but to strike.
"The airport is profitable, passenger numbers are growing and our members are a major part of its success. They deserve a fair pay rise, and management must come back to the table to deliver this."
Leeds pizza shop hailed ‘exceptional’ and ‘best in the UK’ by major reviewer
Clementine Hall
A Leeds pizza takeaway has received a glowing review from popular review duo.
Edges Pizza opened up their first permanent spot in Leeds back in June this year, after making a name for themselves slinging out pizzas at multiple pop-ups across the city.
Owners Grace and Edge from Harrogate opened Edges Pizza two years ago, taking inspiration from trips to New York over the years.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Their pizzas are a love letter to the class New York slice, think thin and crispy rather than chewy and floppy. But above all else, think absolutely delicious.
And now, they've caught the attention of a major review page, with Bite Twice Food Reviews (a page with almost 300k followers) paying Edges a visit.
The food review duo of Gerry del Guercio and Paul Delany popped up in Holbeck beneath the arches to get their hands on a pizza, and the outcome is brilliant.
In the video, Bite Twice said that the pizza is 'f**cking exceptional' and up there with 'one of the best pizzas in the UK'.
Before even taking a bite, they said: "On aesthetic, I don't think anywhere in the UK is doing pizza like this".
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Then after the first bite, they go on to say: "There are very few pizzas in the UK that create this, I’m a little bit blown away".
As Londoners themselves, they go on to say that Edges is 'easily hitting with the best that we’ve got down south'.
And if that's not high praise enough, they sign off the video saying: "Leeds has got an absolute gem. I give this a stamp so hard my foot went through the pizza. Edges. Don Level."
Georgina Pellant -
6th September 2021 
