Birmingham's laughing gas problem ‘not gone away’ despite anti-social behaviour crackdown, councillor warns
The number of discarded ‘laughing gas’ cannisters strewn across the streets of a Birmingham area doubled last year.
Councillor Izzy Knowles, who represents Moseley, warned members of the West Midlands Police and Crime Panel the issue of nitrous oxide use had not gone away.
She said the Moseley Litterbusters group keep records of how many cannisters they pick up and had noted 1,118 in 2025, compared with 476 the year before.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster said the issue remained a matter of concern for him despite the issue not being raised with him as much as it previously did.
He added they would ensure it is included in a West Midlands wide anti-social behaviour action plan, currently being devised.
Councillor Knowles said: “Nitrous oxide is now a Class C drug. What is the force doing to tackle the growing use of nitrous oxide?
“The Moseley Litterbusters group collect large nitrous oxide cannisters from the roadside and have been doing so for several years and monitoring how many they collect.
“In 2025, they noted 1,118 large cannisters being left in our roads and that’s double the figure from 476 they noted in 2024.
“There is a real growing use and concern about the use of nitrous oxide.”
Mr Foster said: “Nitrous Oxide has been a matter of concern for some years now for a variety of different factors in terms of public health consequences it has for those people who are using it and in terms of the adverse impact it can have on road safety and indeed the broader anti-social behaviour aspect of it.
“Interestingly, a couple of years ago the issue of the use of nitrous oxide was something that was being brought to my attention on a very regular basis.
“In the last 12 months or so, not so much. I’m not quite sure why it has apparently disappeared off the radar. I’m quite sure the issue has not gone away.”
Councillor Knowles said: “I don’t know if that’s because some people have become desensitised to it.
“The number of cannisters being found every day, and they’ve gone from little tiny ones to really big ones, and are being left in areas where you have young people sitting in cars and possibly driving, shows it hasn’t gone away.
“It is still a huge issue and it is having an impact on neighbourhoods.”
The commissioner replied: “My concern around the issue has not gone away.
“You raising it is one of the first occasions it has been raised with me for quite some significant time. I’m very keen to pursue any work around it that needs to be done.
“We are working on a West Midlands wide anti-social behaviour action plan. That has to be finalised by the end of March so that is something we need to make sure is covered in that.”
