The dangers of nitrous oxide use are being highlighted to young people in Bradford thanks to funding from the Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin.
Hollings Youth Association (HYA), based in Manningham, has been delivering a series of workshops around the drug, commonly referred to as ‘laughing gas’.
The project was made possible due to £6,500 funding from the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund, which takes money recovered from criminals and passes it on to community projects making their areas safer.
Alison Lowe, West Yorkshire’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, recently met with the project leaders to find out more.
She said: “The use of nitrous oxide can have a devastating impact so it’s crucial that we educate our young people on the dangers.
“It was fantastic to visit the Hollings Youth Association and hear first-hand about the important work they are doing to highlight the serious and sometimes fatal consequences of nitrous oxide use.
“The Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund is one of the many ways we are working with our community to help make West Yorkshire a safer place to live and work.”
HYA decided to host the workshops on nitrous oxide use after the young people it works with raised it as a concern in their area.
The project has focused on educating people about the risks of nitrous oxide use, which can lead to suffocation or paralysis, and on the dangers of driving whilst under the influence of the Class C drug.
One workshop, organised in partnership with West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, saw young people experience a live demonstration of what it would be like to be cut out of a crashed car, reminding them of the potential consequences of drug driving.
Other workshops have been held in the nearby community centre and in the local mosque to help educate parents and guardians on what to watch out for.
A steering group of young volunteers was also set up to establish a peer support system and to help educate their friends about the harms of drugs.
Tausif Mohammed, manager at YHA, said: “Thanks to the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund, we have been able to educate young people on the dangerous and often devastating consequences of using nitrous oxide.
“The young people we work with really drove this project and they have been involved in all the activities and events, which we have tailored to different age groups, as well as getting the message out to parents.
“So many people reached out to get involved, such as Public Health Bradford, and we are pleased with how successful it has been so far working with partners and hope it will make a lasting difference.”
The latest round of grants from the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund will be awarded in September. Another round of funding is due to open shortly. To find out more visit www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/policing-and-crime/mayor-s-safer-communities-fund.
