A new laughing gas breathalyser is now being trialled by UK police to tackle the rise in nitrous oxide drug driving. The specialist device can detect if a driver has used 'hippy crack' within the last 120 minutes, giving officers the evidence needed for roadside convictions.
Key Facts
- Hampshire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police are the first UK forces to begin the roadside NOS testing trial.
- 120 minutes is the detection window for the new Respira Technologies breathalyser.
- In 2023, nitrous oxide was officially reclassified as a Class C drug in the UK.
- Penalties for possession now include a potential two-year prison sentence or an unlimited fine.
Police in two major UK regions have started trialling a world-first laughing gas breathalyser in a major move to tackle nitrous oxide drug driving. The initiative, led by Hampshire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police, targets a growing trend of drivers inhaling the gas behind the wheel, often while filming content for social media platforms like Snapchat.
For years, securing a nitrous oxide drug-driving conviction at the roadside has been incredibly difficult. The gas disappears from the bloodstream so quickly that by the time officers carry out further testing at a station, the evidence is often gone.
How the New Roadside NOS Testing Works
Developed by Respira Technologies, the handheld device works in a similar way to a standard alcohol breathalyser. Drivers blow into the unit, which then analyses their breath to determine whether nitrous oxide has been inhaled recently.
The technology can detect the gas for up to 120 minutes after use, giving officers a reliable way to identify suspected impairment at the roadside.
Acting Superintendent Emma Hart from the joint operations roads policing unit warned of the dangers associated with the drug. While the euphoric “buzz” may only last seconds, nitrous oxide can severely impair drivers by starving the brain of oxygen, leading to blurred vision, disorientation, and slowed reaction times.
UK Nitrous Oxide Laws Explained
The introduction of the new breathalyser follows the government’s decision to reclassify nitrous oxide as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 in late 2023. Possessing the gas for recreational inhalation is now illegal in the UK.
Penalties can include up to two years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both, alongside any separate punishments linked to drug driving offences, including driving bans and criminal records.
The devastating consequences of the trend were highlighted in the case of 18-year-old Thomas Johnson, who killed three people in a 100mph crash while reportedly using nitrous oxide behind the wheel.
If the pilot scheme proves successful, drivers could soon see laughing gas breathalysers rolled out by police forces across the UK.