HIPPY CRACK USE IS RIFE

criminal proceedings. The player’s club are aware of the incident. They have been offering extensive support for some time and were involved in the decision to send him to a specialist rehab centre earlier this season. The call to the emergency services was made last month. It is thought the player’s family harboured concerns that he had suffered a relapse. The player is aware of the scale of his problem and has made repeated attempts to quit laughing gas. His club are continuing to offer help in the hope he can salvage his career. Nitrous oxide, known as ‘hippy crack’, is contained in canisters which can be super-sized. The canisters are used to fill balloons, from which the gas is inhaled to provide a quick ‘high’. Usage carries many risks including heart attack, stroke and brain damage. There have been fatalities among users. In November, the law was changed to make nitrous oxide a controlled Class C drug. Possession for inhalation is now a criminal offence, although a conviction may be unlikely unless it appears there is a desire to supply others. Canisters can be obtained online and bought relatively cheaply, so long as the buyer says they are over the age of 18 and the gas is to be used for food production. There are concerns that its abuse is rife among Premier League footballers, with routine drug tests unlikely to detect its presence. Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling have been seen inhaling it in the past, as have several Arsenal players — at a party in 2018. Last year, Everton’s Dele Alli was pictured surrounded by gas canisters and alcohol.