Killed by a driver on laughing gas - Lords debate 'deadly dangers' of nitrous oxide

Helen Klich, 67, was killed in a crash shortly after retiring in December 2023

At the end of 2023, 67-year-old Helen Klich retired from her role in the NHS after an esteemed career lasting more than a quarter of a century.

Just days later, the "kind and compassionate" grandmother was killed when her car was hit by a BMW, whose driver was inhaling nitrous oxide from balloons.

The impact of the collision, on the A5 near Cannock, Staffordshire, forced the Kia being driven by her husband Phillip to flip over, leaving him with multiple injuries and Mrs Klich dying at the scene.

Now, in the wake of her death, the issue of drivers taking nitrous oxide has been raised in the House of Lords.

The crash, on 21 December 2023, also left a passenger in Smart's car having to be placed in an induced coma because of the extent of their injuries.

And, after being arrested at the scene, Smart, 34, also needed hospital treatment, Staffordshire Police said.

Stephen Smart was jailed for 14 years and 10 months

The force confirmed the defendant, of Scotia Road, Cannock, had been driving under the influence of nitrous oxide.

Last Friday, Smart was jailed for nearly 15 years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He was also disqualified from driving for 15 years and eight months and will have to take an extended re-test once his ban ends.

'Deadly danger'

The horrific crash, and others like it, has led Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Baroness Caroline Pidgeon to raise the issue in the Lords.

She said there was a "serious increase" in the trend and it presented a "deadly danger" on the country's roads.

In response, Lord David Hanson, minister of state for the Home Office, said the government was currently exploring the issue as part of a future road strategy.

Nitrous oxide was formerly described as a "legal high", before it was reclassified in 2023 as a Class C controlled drug, under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

Baroness Caroline Pidgeon said drivers using nitrous oxide was a "deadly danger" on the roads

According to the most recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 0.9% of people aged 16 to 59 used nitrous oxide in England and Wales, in the year ending March 2024.

The figure rose to 3.3% for those aged 16 to 24, the ONS said, while 25.4% of people claimed it would be "very" or "fairly" easy for them to get nitrous oxide within 24 hours.

Motoring organisation the RAC, said people taking the substance before getting behind the wheel was an "increasing problem", with the "high" substantially affecting their ability to drive.

Staffordshire Police said inhaling the gas was "highly dangerous" and "could ultimately prove fatal for drivers, their passengers and other road users".

Effects the drug has include euphoria, relaxation, dizziness, giggling or fits of laughter – hence its laughing gas nickname.

Staffordshire University's Sarah Page said nitrous oxide was "particularly dangerous" for drivers

Sarah Page, associate professor of social justice and social learning at Staffordshire University, said the drug was cheap and easy to get.

"The clue is in the name as to why people are being drawn to use it - most people enjoy laughing," she said.

However, the laughing can "dissipate swiftly", she said, especially if people have an allergic reaction, which could result in the need for hospital treatment or death.

"Milder impacts include dizziness, loss of balance and cognition," she continued. "People may end up falling over or having an accident and this is particularly dangerous if people try to drive while intoxicated."