Hampshire and Isle of Wight PCC calls for more awareness on the dangers of laughing gas
It comes as new data reveals repeat offending of drug-driving is almost five times more common than drink-driving
The Hampshire Police and Crime commissioner says the force has seen a significant uptick in people being caught driving under the influence of laughing gas
It comes as new data reveals repeat offending of drug-driving is almost five times more common than drink-driving
The national data comes from the RAC revealed a total of 12,391 British drivers were caught drug-driving at least three times in the 11 years leading up to July 2025
This is compared to just 2,553 who received three or more drink-drive convictions over the same period.
People caught drug-driving in Britain face a minimum one-year driving ban, an unlimited fine and up to six months in prison.
Donna Jones told us she believes there needs to be more awareness on the topic
"We do need to have a lot more awareness. public health directors are looking at this across the country, particularly how we can be raising awareness to young people.
We know that 3.3% of young people across the country will have used laughing gas at some point in their lives."
Donna also added just how much the problem has grown
"Over the last four years, drug impaired driving is overtaken drink driving in terms of our arrest rates. And as I say, there are still too many people who were injured and sadly killed on roads across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Sometimes people have been arrested for taking NOS canisters whilst actually driving, unscrewing the top, inhaling it, and it has that instant effect. But over a period of time, it can have quite significant damages, as I say, in terms of starving oxygen to the brain."
Last week Hampshire and Isle of Wight police, alongside Thames Valley Police started trialling the first breathalyser that could detect laughing gas
Local police forces trial 'world's first' laughing gas breathalyser
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis says the new statistics show the topic isn't in the spotlight enough
“While it’s drink-driving that tends to attract most of the headlines, these figures show just how much of a problem the more under-the-radar issue of drug-driving is becoming.
Drug-driving reoffending rates dwarf those of drink-driving, which suggests current penalties aren’t effective in preventing some drug-drivers from repeating their crimes and putting everyone at risk."