Possessing laughing gas is to be made a criminal offence for the first time, the government has announced.
There will also be tighter controls on retailers to prevent the supply of nitrous oxide for misuse.
It goes against recommendations from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) which recently advised against new laws to ban nitrous oxide.
Nitrous oxide, sold in metal canisters, is known as NOS and is one of the most-used drug by UK 16 to 24-year-olds.
The details are expected to be released on Monday. The BBC understands the ban would be issued under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, which regulates drugs based on their perceived harm and potential for misuse.
It is already illegal to produce or supply the gas for its psychoactive effects under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016. The law makes production, supply and importation of nitrous oxide for inhalation illegal, but not possession.
The change is part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour, which Prime…
This article was written by and originally published on www.bbc.co.uk