Because of the widespread abuse of nitrous oxide for recreational purposes, NDLEA chairman and CEO Mohamed Buba Marwa has ordered the agency’s various commands and formations to begin a crackdown on the illegal sale and use of laughing gas immediately.
Mr. Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA, made this announcement on Tuesday.
Babafemi claims that a review of the effects of nitrous oxide abuse, which include dizziness, headache, lightheadedness, hallucinations, passing out, disorientation, fainting spells, and/or suffocating from lack of oxygen, and other neurological complications, especially psychiatric symptoms, led to the decision to crack down on those involved in the illegal sale and use of the substance.
However, the NDLEA advised parents, guardians, and other stakeholders to be on the lookout for signs of experimentation or abuse among young people and to warn them about the potential dangers to their mental and physical health.
dentists and doctors frequently utilize nitrous oxide to sedate patients before doing minor medical procedures like as filling cavities or removing wisdom teeth.
In Nigeria, young people are increasingly turning to laughing gas, sometimes known as N20, to become high or intoxicated during parties.
For its euphoric effects, the gas is frequently swallowed after being transferred from its cylinders into balloons.