Retired Brigadier General Buba Marwa, the head of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has urged authorities to crack down on the illegal use and sale of nitrous oxide, also known as “laughing gas,” across the country.

The directive was announced in a statement by Femi Babafemi, director of media and advocacy at NDLEA, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mr Marwa directed all NDLEA commands and formations to immediately clamp down on ‘laughing gas.’

He explained that the instruction was in response to the substance being abused by those who use it recreationally.

In order to calm down patients undergoing minor medical procedures, dentists and other medical professionals frequently use the colourless gas nitrous oxide to provide sedation and pain relief.

Popularly known as laughing gas or N20, it is quickly becoming a substance sought after by young Nigerian partygoers or thrill-seekers to feel drunk or high. The gas is often transferred from its containers into balloons, from where it is inhaled for euphoric effects.

According to Mr. Marwa, the decision to crack down on those engaged in the illegal sale and use of nitrous oxide was made after an examination of its effects on substance abusers.

This, he claimed, included dizziness, disorientation, headaches, lightheadedness, fainting spells, hallucinations, passing out from lack of oxygen, falling unconscious, and other neurological issues, particularly psychiatric symptoms.

According to the head of NDLEA, the organisation would not hesitate to use the big stick against anyone until other steps were taken to address the problem in consultation with other stakeholders, particularly the Federal Ministry of Health.

In the interest of the general public’s health, he declared, “we will clamp down” on anyone involved in the illegal sale or use of nitrous oxide, regardless of their social standing.

Mr. Marwa urged parents, guardians, and other stakeholders to exercise caution and alertness and warned children against trying to experiment with or abuse the substance because doing so could endanger their mental and general well-being.