Sticking the word ‘crack’ on the end of the street name for nitrous oxide is a simple way of making something not very exciting seem like it could be about to cause an epidemic.

In fact, it’s insulting to compare the two when you consider the devastation actual crack unleashes upon individuals and societies.

Nitrous oxide is nothing more than laughing gas that you get at the dentist, designed to relax and produce the giggles.

It is no more illegal than alcohol and, many would argue, significantly less damaging to both the person taking it and society as a whole.