More than twenty bottles of 'laughing gas' seized from a group of youths in Mijas

Mijas Local Police have seized more than twenty bottles of nitrous oxide, popularly known as 'laughing gas', while carrying out surveillance in the Calypso area. The bottles were seized from the group of underage youngsters when they were discovered taking the gas in the street.

So far this year, there have been five incidents of nitrous oxide abuse in which the Local Police have intervened. A police source said: "The sale of this substance for human consumption is considered a crime against public health."

The source added that the use of 'laughing gas' "has become a major concern throughout Europe, as recently reflected by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), becoming a problem in countries such as the United Kingdom, where it is the most consumed drug among young people aged 16 to 24".

The gas has significant adverse effects when administered for long periods or repeatedly, mainly associated with the metabolism of vitamin B12. If ingested in large quantities it can lead to suffocation, and, in extreme cases, death.