‘Deadly’ cannisters litter town car park
WARNING OVER USE OF NITROUS OXIDE DRUG
BEVERLEY’S hidden drugs plague is once again on show, this time in a secluded car park littered with strange canisters that many residents are oblivious to.
Concerned residents posted photos of a hoard of the “deadly” canisters they collected from a small car park off the town’s Ings Road.
But social media reveals many residents of the desirable East Yorkshire town are seemingly perplexed by what the small, 2in metal canisters actually are.
In response to the litter pickers’ findings, one resident wrote: “I saw one in Morrison’s car park the other day and wondered what it was.”
The discarded canisters contained nitrous oxide, known as Nos, a recreational drug being used by young people in the town to feel euphoric and relaxed.
Use of the gas can have deadly consequences, with Humberside Police Neighbourhood Inspector for Beverley Paul Gladstone saying the situation is “very concerning”.
Ings Road car park is the latest area of concern in a town not usually known for crime and anti-social behaviour.
The findings comes days after a woman spoke of her horror at discovering what appeared to be a “homemade bong” in a Beverley children’s play park.
The worried parent found it under a slide in Molescroft on Thursday and shared it to a Facebook group to warn others.
The Ings Road said their items were collected over a consecutive three day period, filling a total of four bags and adding that the situation is “getting worse”.
Due to the effects of nitrous oxide, the chemical has become widely known as “laughing gas”, which is not legal for human consumption.
One concerned social media user responded to the post: “Yeah they can get them from anywhere. Apparent laughing gas... Idiots will have zero brain cells left.”
The Humberside Police Neighbourhood Inspector for Beverley, Paul Gladstone, said in response to the findings: “It is very concerning if young people are using nitrous oxide as a recreational drug.
“As with members of the public, our officers are seeing these canisters (usually silver about 2in in length) discarded in parks and public spaces and have increased our police patrols in the areas of Ings Road and the Molescroft Pavilion surrounding areas.
“The gas itself is mainly used in medical applications for pain relief. It’s also used in cooking and baking as a propellant and in bicycle tyre inflation kits. As a result there are commercially available capsules of nitrous oxide.
“Whereas the gas isn’t dangerous in itself, there can be some dangerous side effects if nitrous oxide is abused and we want
to raise awareness of them.
“We would ask parents to be aware of what their children are buying online and to speak to them about the dangers of using this gas.
“Overuse can result in oxygen being cut off to the brain, a B12 deficiency leading to numbness or constant tingling, spasms in the throat which can stop a person breathing and other side effects.
“There is a risk of death as a lack of oxygen can occur when using nitrous oxide. This risk is likely to be greater if the gas is consumed in an enclosed space or if a substantial amount is rapidly used.”