Southend mum hails 'laughing gas' ban after son's death

Emma Cain, pictured with her son Jon's prized acoustic guitar, started her campaign after being shocked by seeing youngsters inhaling laughing gas on a beach

New legislation outlawing nitrous oxide gas has been praised by the mother of a teenager who died from solvent abuse.

Emma Cain, 46, has been warning youngsters about substance abuse since her son Jon's death.

The 17-year-old, from Southend, died from a cardiac arrest in 2011 after inhaling another gas, butane.

Nitrous oxide - or laughing gas - is now a Class C drug and its possession became a criminal offence from Wednesday.

Miss Cain started her campaign when she and her other children saw young people inhaling it while at a beach last year for a memorial on what would have been Jon's 28th birthday.

She said while she knew it was not the same gas Jon inhaled, she wanted to ensure other parents did not go through the "heartbreak" of losing a child.

She said she broke down "in tears" when it was announced the drug would be made illegal.

"I am over the moon. There are too many lives at risk when it comes to using nitrous oxide," she said.

"I can now start to move on and the police can deal with the dark side of it. Hopefully lives can be saved out of this."

Nitrous oxide is categorised as a Class C drug and its possession made a criminal offence

What are the risks of nitrous oxide?

• Nitrous oxide slows down your brain and your body's responses

• It can cause sound distortions and hallucinations and also give you a severe headache, cause dizziness, stop you thinking straight and cause short-lived but intense feelings of paranoia

• It is very dangerous to inhale nitrous oxide directly from the canister, or do it in an enclosed space

• Users risk falling unconscious and/or suffocating from the lack of oxygen

• Heavy regular use can lead to a deficiency of vitamin B12 and to a form of anaemia

• Severe B12 deficiency can lead to serious nerve damage, causing tingling and numbness in the fingers and toes and the damage may be lasting

Source: Talk to Frank

She said the new legislation would not stop her from warning users, especially when walking along Southend seafront.

"I do keep my eyes peeled and will continue to make it very clear how dangerous it is," she said.

"If anyone is addicted I will pick them up and take them to the doctors, that is how passionate about this I am.

"I wouldn't want any parent to lose a child, let alone lose them to a preventable death."

Under the new rules, repeat users of nitrous oxide could face up to two years in prison and dealers up to 14 years.

Offenders can be fined, punished in the community, cautioned or imprisoned.

Crime and policing minister, Chris Philp, said: "For too long the use of this drug in public spaces has contributed to anti-social behaviour which is a blight on communities.

"We will not accept it. This law gives the police the powers they need to take a zero-tolerance approach to this crime."