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Laughing gas: 'A 20-second high is not worth losing your life over'

Millie Lane Kayleigh and MillieMillie Lane
Millie, right, had to perform CPR on her friend Kayleigh Burns, left, when she collapsed

The friend of a teen who died after inhaling laughing gas has started a petition to try to change the law to stop children getting hold of it.

Kayleigh Burns, 16, suffered an asthma attack at a house in Warwickshire in June and her friend Millie Lane had to give CPR before an ambulance arrived.

She died the next day in hospital.

Millie is campaigning to stop under 18s being able to buy nitrous oxide canisters and ensure businesses require licences to sell it.

She said the friends had been planning to go to Skegness the following day and Kayleigh had stayed the night at the house in Leamington Spa so they could get the train the following morning.

Millie Lane Kayleigh and MillieMillie Lane
Since losing her friend, Millie has made it her mission to educate teenagers about the dangers

Kayleigh had taken the canisters with her, she said, and had begun inhaling the gas, which gives users a short feeling of euphoria.

She collapsed shortly after.

"She didn't do that many. Even if you just have one it can cause proper damage," said Millie.

Since losing her friend, she has made it her mission to educate teenagers about the dangers.

"Even if you don't know anyone that it's happened to, or you've never had a bad experience yourself, doesn't mean it's not going to happen.

"You never know what's in these canisters.

"Try and stay away from them - it's not needed. It causes more harm than good."

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What is nitrous oxide?

Getty Images Pile of silver canistersGetty Images
Small silver canisters have become a familiar scene on the streets of the UK
  • Nitrous oxide (N2O), commonly known as laughing gas or nos, is an anaesthetic gas with pain-relieving and anti-anxiety properties
  • N20 is used recreationally and has been in medicine for more than 200 years
  • It has become widely and easily available for recreational use as it can be legally bought and sold for the purpose of making whipped cream
  • The gas can cause serious long-term effects such as vitamin B12 deficiency and anaemia
  • Sales of nitrous oxide for its psychoactive effects were made illegal after the Psychoactive Substances Act in 2016, but it is not currently a crime to be caught in possession of the drug
  • The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs previously concluded it did not seem to warrant control under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, something Home Secretary Priti Patel has asked it to review
  • In 2019-20, 8.7% of 16 to 24-year-olds reported using nitrous oxide in the past 12 months, equivalent to about 549,000 people, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales.

Sources: www.gov.uk and www.drugscience.org.uk

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Large canisters on the ground
A stash of canisters found recently in Warwickshire

Recently, extra large canisters have become more prevalent in recreational use, which are known as smart whips and are legitimately used as a whipping agent for cream.

Millie said she wanted to make it illegal for under 18s to purchase the canisters and for them to be confiscated if a person was found in possession of them.

"My main aim is to ensure businesses have a licence to sell them," said Millie, who added sellers including eBay should be responsible for checking the age of a buyer.

Peer pressure at parties and festivals were among reasons Millie cited for young people using laughing gas.

But she said: "It's a 20-second high, it really doesn't last that long - it's not worth losing your life over."

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