New holiday warning for Brits heading to Cyprus

BRITS heading to the sunny shores of Cyprus have been issued a new holiday warning.

The holiday hotspot has introduced strict new laws that could impact tourists.

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Being caught with laughing gas in Cyprus could see travellers coughing up for a fine or even ending up behind bars.

Laughing gas is a term commonly used for nitrous oxide or NOS, that is often found in pressurised metal canisters.

It’s commonly inhaled from a balloon.

The Foreign Office has updated its Cyprus travel advice, warning UK holidaygoers of new rules that include a ban on laughing gas – with hefty fines and potential prison sentences for rule-breakers.

The updated advice reads: “Cyprus has a strictly enforced zero tolerance policy towards illegal drugs, which now includes laughing gas.

“If you are caught with any type of narcotic you will receive either a prison sentence or a hefty fine. The rules against possession of illegal drugs are stricter than in the UK.”

Cyprus is just one of the popular destinations to tighten up its laws in recent times.

The news comes as the drug will be banned in a new antisocial behaviour crackdown.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman ordered police to focus on “keeping people safe, not politically correct distractions” as she unveiled a tough new ban on laughing gas blighting communities across the nation.

Ministers will make possession of the dangerous gas a criminal offence in England and Wales and ramp up drug testing of rogue thugs terrorising the streets

Nitrous oxide or “laughing gas” will be banned, ending the plague of cannisters littering our parks and green spaces.

The drug is now the third-most used among 16 to 24 year olds in England – with cops indicating it leads to even more low-level crimes.

But critics of the proposed ban said it would do little to stop the drug from being circulated and would simply criminalise teenagers and young people.

The legality of laughing gas is a little confusing both at home and abroad, with the supply of it for recreational consumption purposes already banned since 2016.

While most police forces across Europe won’t arrest consumers of the gas, laws vary across holiday hotspots favoured by Brits.

Tourists caught with large quantities could face hefty fines and even in some cases prison sentences, so always check the Foreign Office travel advice for a destination to get more information on the rules.