PARENTS have been warned to keep an eye out for drug paraphernalia as police prepare to crack down on the use of dangerous gas cannisters.

North Wales Police has been calling on residents to educate their children about the dangers of inhaling nitrous oxide (laughing gas) in recent weeks - which can include starvation of oxygen and heart attack - following the discovery of several cannisters in the Broughton and Buckley areas.

Sgt Neil Hughes, of the South Flintshire safer neighbourhood team, has told the Leader his officers are now planning to actively seek out those selling the paraphernalia needed to take the drug.

He explained: “The cannisters are called cream chargers and in the catering business they are used to pump nitrous into cream to aerate and whip it.

“But these are on sale online and to use them you need what is called a ‘cracker’ – which looks like a little cylinder.

“When you put the cannister in the cracker you screw it shut and a pin pierces the top, releasing the gas. They tend to put the gas into a balloon, inhale the nitrous and then exhale it back into the balloon and then again until they collapse.

“It causes light headedness and can lead to a heart attack – as well as hypoxia because with breathing the carbon dioxide back into the lungs, there is a lack of oxygen to the brain.

“The crackers can look very innocuous, almost like a little torch so parents might not think anything of it.

“Our intention is to attend local markets to find out who is selling these crackers, because they have no purpose other than to open the cream charger cannisters.

“There are offences in relation to selling drug paraphernalia and you would not buy one for any other reason.”

Sgt Hughes explained the cream chargers can be bought online for as little as 30p a cannister, but they are often sold in larger quantities.

He added: “95 per cent of these are made in China and they are clearly being made for illegal use.

“Parents need to be on the lookout for these cannisters, the crackers and balloons.

“Dukesfield Close in Buckley is one particular hotspot where there have been reports of drug use including cream chargers by teenagers.

“There is work ongoing in partnership between North Wales Police, Flintshire Council and Buckley Town Council to design this out.”

Any parents who have concerns about drugs can contact Flintshire Sorted (formerly the Young People`s Drug and Alcohol Team) 01352 703490.

The service officer a range of services on a one-to-one basis including harm reduction advice, healthy lifestyles, relapse prevention and more.