New nitrous oxide restrictions
New nitrous oxide restrictions
31 October 2024
A tougher regulation to protect people from the harmful effects of nitrous oxide (N2O) have been introduced today.
Under the new regulation, it is now harder for members of the public to access nitrous oxide for non-legitimate purposes with the purchase of N2O canisters limited to registered food and beverage businesses.
Anyone caught supplying N2O canisters to the public can get an on-the-spot penalty of $6,000 or up to $30,000 if convicted in court.
The purchase of small 10-gram nitrous oxide canisters (often referred to as nangs) will only be accessible to:
- registered food businesses
- businesses with a liquor licence that prepare alcoholic drinks on-site
- educational and training institutions
- cooking school businesses.
The new regulations will not impact medical use of nitrous oxide, which is already heavily regulated under WA law.
Learn more about Nitrous oxide.
If you or someone you know is seeking help to address nitrous oxide (nang) use, contact the Alcohol and Drug Support Line. This is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via (08) 9442 5000 or 1800 198 024 for country callers. Support can also be found on the Drug Aware website (external site).