Correspondence

Supplementary letter from the Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire about the ACMD’s updated harms assessment (accessible version)

Updated 7 February 2023

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nitrous-oxide-home-secretarys-letter-to-the-acmd/supplementary-letter-from-the-minister-for-crime-policing-and-fire-about-the-acmds-updated-harms-assessment-accessible-version

Professor Owen Bowden-Jones
Chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD)
Professor Roger Knaggs
Chair of the Nitrous Oxide Working Group, ACMD
C/o 1st Floor
Peel Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
By email only: ACMD@homeoffice.gov.uk

7 February 2023

Nitrous Oxide – Updated Harms Assessment

Dear Owen and Roger,

The government is committed to working tirelessly to crack down on anti-social behaviour and ensuring that communities have confidence that crimes will be quickly and visibly punished. The Prime Minister has been clear that nitrous oxide has a detrimental impact on communities across the country, and contributes to anti-social behaviour.

On 3 September 2021 the former Home Secretary commissioned the ACMD to provide an updated assessment of the health and social harms of nitrous oxide, and advice on whether nitrous oxide should be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. In light of our renewed focus on tackling anti-social behaviour, I am writing today to request that you expedite your work to consider the health and social harms of nitrous oxide, and whether it should be subject to control under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. I request that you complete this work by the end of February 2023 in order to support further action by the government on nitrous oxide.

I am particularly concerned about the harms of nitrous oxide misuse for young people. We know that nitrous oxide was the third most used drug by 16-24 year olds in 2021/22 (the Crime Survey for England and Wales)[footnote 1]. I would be grateful for the ACMD’s views on the damage nitrous oxide can do to young people’s health, particularly in light of the increased prevalence of misuse of larger canisters.

In addition to the health harms of nitrous oxide misuse, I would welcome the ACMD’s advice on the available evidence relating to societal harms, including, but not limited to:

  • links between nitrous oxide misuse and antisocial behaviour
  • associated crime and impact on local communities
  • environmental impact, including littering

As ever, I appreciate the ACMD’s thoughtful and considered advice which is an essential part of the government’s approach to tackling the misuse of drugs and protecting communities.

Yours sincerely,

Rt Hon Chris Philp MP Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire

  1. Drug misuse in England and Wales – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk). Accessed on 06/01/2023. ↩

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