FOI Request 2289

Subject: Nitrous Oxide Related Road Traffic Incidents Post-Ban

Status: Complete

Date received: January 2026

Question Asked:

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I am seeking information relating to road traffic collision (RTC) incidents attended by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service following the ban on recreational possession of nitrous oxide (effective 8 November 2023).

1. Please provide the total number of road traffic collision incidents attended by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service where any mention of the following terms appears in incident logs, notes, hazard sections, or any free-text fields of your Incident Recording System:

• “nitrous oxide”

• “laughing gas”

• “NOS”

Please provide separate aggregated totals for each of the following periods:

• 2023 (8 November 2023 to 31 December 2023 only)

• 2024 (1 January to 31 December 2024)

• 2025 (1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025 or the most recent available date if full data is not available)

Please provide the response as separate figures only for each period (e.g., “2023 (8 Nov-31 Dec): X incidents”; “2024: Y incidents”; “2025 (to date): Z incidents”). No details of individual incidents, dates, locations or descriptions are required.

2. For the same stated periods, please also provide the total number of road traffic incidents attended by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (regardless of nitrous oxide involvement) for context.

Our Response:

Please see our response below to your Freedom of Information Request.

1. Please provide the total number of road traffic collision incidents attended by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service where any mention of the following terms appears in incident logs, notes, hazard sections, or any free-text fields of your Incident Recording System:

• “nitrous oxide”

• “laughing gas”

• “NOS”

Please provide separate aggregated totals for each of the following periods:

• 2023 (8 November 2023 to 31 December 2023 only)

• 2024 (1 January to 31 December 2024)

• 2025 (1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025 or the most recent available date if full data is not available)

Please provide the response as separate figures only for each period (e.g., “2023 (8 Nov-31 Dec): X incidents”; “2024: Y incidents”; “2025 (to date): Z incidents”). No details of individual incidents, dates, locations or descriptions are required.

A free text search was completed on both the Incident Management System and Incident Recording System and no incidents were recorded.

2. For the same stated periods, please also provide the total number of road traffic incidents attended by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (regardless of nitrous oxide involvement) for context.

Below is a table showing the overall number of RTC’s over the requested time periods.

Outcome: Information Provided

FOI responded to within timescales: YES

Further action: NO