This was made known in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Agency's spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, stating that NDLEA would not hesitate to sanction users and sellers of the gas regardless of their social status. The statement reads in part, "Nitrous oxide is a colorless gas that is commonly used for sedation and pain relief, more often by dentists and medical professionals to sedate patients undergoing minor medical procedures.
"Popularly called laughing gas or N20, it is fast emerging as a drug in demand in Nigeria by young party-goers or fun-seekers to feel intoxicated or high. The gas is often transferred from its containers into balloons, from where it is inhaled for euphoric effects.
"The decision to clampdown on those involved in the illegal sale and use of nitrous oxide follows an analysis of the effects on those who abuse the substance, which include: dizziness, disorientation, headache, lightheadedness, fainting spells, hallucinations, falling unconscious and/or suffocating from lack of oxygen and other neurological complications, especially psychiatric symptoms."
The statement also advised parents, guardians, and other stakeholders to be vigilant and warn their young ones against experimenting with or abusing the gas because it poses several threats to their mental and overall well-being.
The illegal use and sale of the gas has become a world-wide trend with some recorded deaths as a result of its excessive and recreational use.