World's first laughing gas breath test to be trialled in southern England

The world's first breath test for laughing gas – or nitrous oxide – is to be trialled in southern England in a bid to curb drug driving.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and Thames Valley Police (TVP) will test the device to tackle the "emerging threat" of drivers high on the class C drug, referred to as NOS or colloquially as "hippy crack".

NOS can create feelings of euphoria and result in giggling fits – hence the nickname "laughing gas" – but can also cause severe headaches, dizziness and paranoia.

The breathalyser, created by Respira Technologies following research at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, works by the user breathing into the portable device, giving a result within minutes.

It can detect whether a user has inhaled nitrous oxide for up to two hours beforehand.

Acting Superintendent Emma Hart, of the joint operations roads policing unit of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and TVP, said there is "currently no device available" that can prove drivers used the substance, "making prosecution difficult".

"Nitrous oxide is a growing issue, especially with young drivers who don't understand the harm it can cause, so when we saw the opportunity to test this new technology, we knew how important it could be towards these devices being rolled out across the country," she said.

A spokesman for the police forces said driving under the influence of nitrous oxide "is an emerging threat to the safety of motorists" and the new tech could help lead to more prosecutions for drug-driving offences.

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One of the highest-profile incidents involving NOS saw three teenagers killed in a crash in Oxfordshire in 2023 caused by a driver who had used the drug.

Elliot Pullen, 17, and 18-year-olds Ethan Goddard and Daniel Hancock were passengers in a car that crashed into a tree alongside the A415 in Marcham.

The 18-year-old driver, Thomas Johnson, was filmed inhaling laughing gas behind the wheel just moments before the crash and was driving at speeds of up to 100mph.

He was jailed for nine years and four months in 2024 after admitting to using the drug while driving.

Possession of the drug for unlawful use became punishable by up to two years in prison in 2023.

(c) Sky News 2026: World's first laughing gas breath test to be trialled in southern England