Dairies and vape stores have been booted out of the large-canister nitrous oxide “nangs” trade in a recreational inhaling crackdown announced today.

The Government announcement comes three months after Hawke’s Bay Today highlighted community concern over the use of nangs, graduating from unmarked shell-sized capsules to enticingly branded two-litre-plus canisters paraded as for use as “cream-chargers” in the catering and baking industries.

A meeting in Hastings in late January heard it described as an “epidemic”.

Police issued written warnings to dairies and vape stores in Hawke’s Bay, some of whom claimed to not be aware they were not to be sold for recreational use, and court action was initiated in some neighbouring regions.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Health Minister Simeon Brown said on Wednesday there was no reason for dairies or vape stores to be selling the up-to-3.3 litre canisters.

“The Ministry of Health has not identified any legitimate use for them and has not found evidence of caterers using canisters of this size,” the ministers said in a statement that announced nitrous oxide canisters over 10 grams would be automatically classified as psychoactive substances, regardless of claims they are intended for whipping cream.

Imports of nitrous oxide would require approval from the Director-General of Health under the Customs and Excise Act 2018 and “stronger settings” would support law enforcement, they said.

“Although recreational use of nitrous oxide is already illegal, misuse continues to grow and is becoming a serious public health concern,” Brown said.

“The harms can be significant and long-lasting and it is clear we need to do more.”

Nitrous oxide does have legitimate medical and commercial uses, but recreational use, commonly known as “nangs”, is associated with real harm that is likely under-reported.

In February, Hawke’s Bay Today reported there had been at least two known Hawke’s Bay Hospital Emergency Department admissions with nerve damage associated with misuse.

Risks increase with heavy or repeated use, as enabled with the larger canisters, including damage to the nervous system and long-term neurological injury, and police were aware of serious and fatal crashes involving drivers inhaling, sometimes while driving.

Mitchell said automatically classifying large canisters as psychoactive substances would make enforcement simpler and more effective for police.

Anyone who sells or supplies nitrous oxide for the purpose of inducing a psychoactive effect already faces penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment or fines of up to $500,000, but changes will “close loopholes”, he said.

Doug Laing is a Hawke’s Bay Today reporter, based in Napier, with more than 50 years’ experience in news gathering, with a particular concern for social issues.