On the A406 North Circular in north London yesterday morning, a man was caught on camera apparently inhaling a balloon while driving in the outside lane of a dual carriageway.
The shocking footage was captured from a car behind and seems to show the man driving a car while clutching a bright yellow balloon.
The footage was shared on Twitter, prompting Met Police to launch an investigation into the incident. Met Police believe the incident was filmed on the A406 in Golders Green and are working to identify the driver.
The A406, or North Circular, is a 25.7-mile ring road around central London, running from Chiswick in the west to Woolwich in the east via suburban north London.
The force was informed of the video by after it was shared online. ‘A guy doing balloon & driving on the A406 this morning,’ the Twitter account that posted the footage wrote.
However, another user suggested the driver ‘might be just blowing up balloons for his child’s birthday party.’
Doing a balloon means taking nitrous oxide, or NOS, a colourless gas sold in canisters, usually inhaled using a balloon. It gives the user a quick high, but can also make people dizzy, anxious and paranoid, according to drugs advice website Frank.
The business owner who posted the video told MailOnline this morning that they believe inhaling balloons is growing problem all over London.
‘This is something I see on the regular all over the different boroughs of London,’ the filmer said. ‘Balloons, alcohol, cocaine.
I believe this is fuelling the accidents on the roads.’ The poster, who is also a parent, added that they shared the clip to highlight the dangers of drug use.
‘Stuff like this is not being looked at properly,’ they stated. ‘This is getting on my nerves. It is very dangerous.’
A spokesman for the Met Police said: ‘We are aware of the video. Officers have carried out initial enquiries and believe it was filmed on the A406 in Golders Green. Further enquiries are taking place to identify the driver.’