A community leader has voiced concerns over the laughing gas canisters strewn "everywhere" in Easton and Lawrence Hill.
Abdihakin Asir, interim chairman of the Bristol Somali Community Association, says dumped nitrous oxide cylinders have become increasingly common in the area over the last year.
The anaesthetic gas, which is illegal to sell but legal to use, carries health risks. It was traditionally used for pain relief during dentistry but is growing in popularity as a recreational drug.
Mr Asir says he has recently seen more than 20 canisters at a time littered in areas including Ducie Road, Thrissell Street and Church Road.
He said: "When I first started seeing them, I was thinking, 'What is this?' I didn’t know what it was.
"Now it is visible in huge numbers wherever you go in Lawrence Hill and Easton. Everywhere you go, you see them.
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"Children are inquisitive. For them, it’s creating a lot of unnecessary exposure to drugs in the area."
Mr Asir, who has lived in Easton for more than 10 years, says the issue is far more prevalent there than in other parts of the city.
"I don't know why," he said. "People say youngsters use it, but young people are everywhere.
"Police need to check where people are accessing these materials. How many parents know what their children are engaged with?
"It’s not like marijuana which you can smell, so it is harder to tell if your child is using it."
Risk of nerve damage
Heavy use of laughing gas can deplete the body's stores of vitamin B12, causing anaemia and nerve damage.
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Though the drug rarely causes death, a 23-year-old man died in 2007 at his Birmingham home from asphyxia after inhaling nitrous oxide.
Mr Asir said: "If someone in Easton dies using this, then the alarm will be big.
"Instead of acting later and trying to find someone to blame, why don’t we try to do something right now?"
He is calling for Avon and Somerset Constabulary to investigate who is providing children in the area with the drug.
What the authorities say
A force spokesperson said: "A change in legislation took place in 2016. Under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, it is now an offence to sell nitrous oxide for the purpose of inhalation.
"It is not and offence to possess it for personal use, just an offence to sell it.
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"If a group of young people choose to consume it in a local open space, that is not a crime."
A spokesperson for Bristol City Council outlined its initiatives to raise awareness of the drug's risks.
He said: "Our Public Health team is working with schools to encourage good quality education and awareness, and in addition has developed its Bristol Healthy Schools Award to include content on preventing, delaying and reducing the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs among young people in Bristol.
“Additionally, Bristol City Council commissions the Bristol ROADS service, for anyone aged 18 and over who is concerned about their or someone else’s use of any substance, including nitrous oxide.
“As regards the disposal of canisters from which the substance is often obtained, street cleansing crews remove any litter they encounter as part of their normal duties and, if specific incidents or areas are reported, supervisors will instruct crews to attend.’’
More information on the Healthy School award is available here.
Bristol Live has approached the Bristol Drugs Project for comment.
