Newry, Mourne and Down DUP councillor says he is having difficulty disposing of nitrous oxide cans legally
A Co Down councillor is storing Class C drugs in his garage but says they’re better locked up there than “flung” across the district.
DUP man Alan Lewis says people have been coming to his home looking to get rid of cans of nitrous oxide, but adds that no one seems to know how to dispose of them legally.
And now the Northern Ireland Environment Agency is working with Cllr Lewis to get the canisters, found after the discovery of a ‘den’ in Ballynahinch, dumped in the right place. Ratepayers’ bins and council household recycling centres in Northern Ireland have been confirmed as off limits for the discarded toxic cans of nitrous oxide.
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Councillor Lewis spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) saying he could now be breaking the law by putting child safety first.He said: “Residents have been contacting me about these canisters or bringing them to my home and I’m probably breaking some law or another by having dozens of these things in my garage. I don’t really care. I’d rather store them in my locked garage than have them flung across my district as a danger to residents and children.“I’m patiently waiting for someone in authority to tell me what to do with them. Council simply advised that they cannot be accepted at our household recycling centres and they were to be sent back to the manufacturer.“I’m in no mood to be contacting manufacturers who likely won’t even reply let alone pay postage or collection. Surely some agency or authority in Northern Ireland can advise how these can be disposed of.”A letter to Councillor Lewis from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) has been seen by the LDRS.It reads: “This issue has now been raised at an interagency governmental meeting this week. Since 8th November 2023 nitrous oxide gas has been classified by the Home Office as a ‘Class C drug’.“The classification as a ‘Class C drug’ means that most waste management facilities in Northern Ireland, which would have been able to accept this waste stream if it were solely classified as a hazardous waste cannot receive it unless they are also authorised to accept controlled drugs.“The cannisters will thus have to be disposed/transferred directly to waste management sites authorised to accept controlled drugs. We are liaising with our Waste Management Licensing team regarding availability of any such facilities.”Current legislation bans the knowing or reckless supply of nitrous oxide for inhalation, with dealers facing up to seven years in jail. However, LDRS has found that the laughing gas cans can readily be bought online at about £25 a bottle.The potentially deadly gas is typically released into balloons from small silver canisters and then inhaled. Prolonged use can cause vitamin B12 deficiency, anaemia and nerve damage. Doctors previously warned that using laughing gas could lead to spinal injuries and in some cases even death.Councillor Lewis added: “This is a serious problem for local communities, both in terms of public safety and the environment and I wanted to ensure it is being tackled at the highest level.“In the meantime I’d ask that as per guidance from NIEA residents please do not attempt to dispose of these cannisters in normal bins, as they pose both safety and environmental risks.”
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