The drug, which can have damaging side effects, is thought to be a factor in anti-social behaviour.
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A ban on the sale and use of laughing gas is being considered by the government.
The proposed ban of nitrous oxide, which can have damaging side effects, is part of a drive to tackle antisocial behaviour.
The Home Office has asked for the result of a report looking into the harm caused by laughing gas to be delivered sooner than planned.
It says it will consider the review before making a decision.
Current legislation bans the knowing or reckless supply of nitrous oxide for inhalation but there have been calls for a ban on all direct consumer sales as part of a tightening up of the law on the commonly used drug.
The Times – which first reported the story – said that under the proposals, exemptions would be allowed for those with “legitimate reasons”, such as chefs using it for whipped cream or for pain relief in hospitals.
The paper said Chris Philp, the policing minister, wanted a review already under way into nitrous oxide by the independent Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to be fast-tracked to April, with suggestions a formal announcement on a ban could be made as part of the government’s antisocial behaviour strategy due later this year.
In September, Home Secretary Suella Braverman called for the review into harm caused by nitrous oxide.
The Times reported that punishment for being caught with or selling nitrous oxide is likely to be similar to sanctions for Class C drugs – those in possession face up to two years in prison or an unlimited fine and a maximum 14-year-sentence for supplying or producing the substance.
The government said nitrous oxide was “one of the most commonly-used drugs among 16-24-year-olds in England”.
Heavy regular use can lead to a range of side effects which include dizziness, weakness in the legs and impaired memory. But inhaling the gas directly from a large canister can be fatal.
What is laughing gas?
Widely sold in small metal canisters, nitrous oxide is a colourless gas used as a propellant – for example, in whipped-cream dispensers.
Hospitals and dental practices also use big cannisters of it as an anaesthetic that patients inhale.
Some of those who misuse the substance – sometimes referred to as “hippy crack” – inhale it via a balloon or use a dispenser or “cracker”.
Heavy frequent use can lead to a vitamin deficiency that can cause serious permanent nerve damage and lasting paralysis.
But inhaling the gas directly from a large canister is particularly dangerous and can be fatal because it is under such high pressure and comes out extremely cold, which can:
- damage the throat and lungs
- halt breathing
- slow the heart to a dangerous level
The law already bans the knowing or reckless supply of nitrous oxide for inhalation under the Psychoactive Substances Act.
But in October, the British Compressed Gases Association wrote to Ms Braverman asking for a ban on all direct consumer sales.
In the year ending June 2022, 3.9% of 16-24 year olds reported using nitrous oxide, equivalent to about 230,000 people, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales.
A study comparing the harms of nitrous oxide to other recreational substances found the gas was considered more harmful than “poppers” for drug-related dependence, environmental damage and relative impairment of mental functioning, while poppers were more harmful for drug-related morality, injury and damage.
The drug is widely perceived as lower risk than alcohol, but researchers have raised concerns over the long-term harm it could cause among chronic users.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addressed the issue in a speech earlier this month, where he spoke about antisocial behaviour and highlighted the blight of discarded “nitrous oxide canisters in children’s playgrounds”.