A BRADFORD campaigner has welcomed government moves to potentially make the unlawful possession of laughing gas a criminal offence in England and Wales.

Sofia Buncy DL, national co-ordinator at the Khidmat Centres, believes that the recreational use of nitrous oxide became more "visible" over the pandemic, and that it is leading to "safety issues" and putting a strain on emergency services.

In June last year, Ms Buncy mapped the usage of laughing gas in Bradford, along with youth worker Sharat Hussain, and claimed the 'party drug' was being taken "literally everywhere" in the district.

Yesterday, it was announced that Home Secretary Priti Patel has asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to review nitrous oxide, and that she was ready to take "tough action" against its use.

Ms Buncy, who has been campaigning for tougher restrictions on laughing gas since the start of the pandemic, said she welcomes these new conversations.

"There has been an increase in use, and many young people have seen it being sold on Snapchat", she said.

"Nitrous oxide is consumed through a balloon - a friend of mine, who is a paramedic, said that anything inhaled at high pressure could cause the throat to spasm, and may cause people to stop breathing.

"People have passed out from using it. It is a safety issue and can lead people down a slippery slope.

"It is not about criminalising young people, and it is not only young people who use laughing gas, but there is potential for people to move on to harder drugs - addictions can start very low, and sometimes the high becomes not enough anymore.

"We are concerned about the medical impact, but also the pollution it causes. Children pick up the silver vials thinking they are toys - I have heard mothers say they do not feel safe taking their kids to the park, with the cannisters scattered everywhere.

"Also, nitrous oxide is very accessible, you can buy the materials on eBay - why is it not being controlled at the point of sale?"

Ms Buncy, who wrote to Priti Patel about laughing gas during the pandemic, also said that it is making things "difficult" for the police and health services.

"Some officers say they see young people using it on a regular basis. I think it is a grey area in policing - what powers do they have to stop it?", she said.

"Clearly there are no repercussions, its use is unregulated and people therefore feel it is acceptable, and paramedics are equally as concerned.

"It is prevalent not just in Bradford or in socio-economically deprived areas, either. There has been a lot of use in places like Harrogate, for example. It is the second most-used substance after cannabis, and seems to be the party drug of choice, possibly due to its accessibility."

Ms Buncy added that Covid only "exacerbated" the issue: "Mental health worsened during the pandemic, and boredom played a role too. With normality gone, people turned to other things", she said.

She also praised campaigners in Bradford for their work in fighting the problem: "The work we have done here has helped to firmly place this on the Government's radar", she said.

"I think our work has been ground-breaking, both in Bradford and nationally."