A MOTHER WHOSE son ended up with severe medical issues as a result of his use of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is now warning parents about the dangers of the drug. 

“We didn’t realise what was going on until he ended up in hospital,” she said in an interview with The Journal. 

Chronic or long-term use of the drug can interfere with the body’s ability to process vitamin B12, leading to a condition called subacute combined degeneration (SACD) of the spinal cord.

Symptoms include numbness in the hands or feet and difficulty with balance and coordination.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, has shared her experience of how her son was diagnosed with SACD, recounting how he began losing feeling in his feet and fingers and his walk became ‘floppy’.

Floppy leg syndrome is a term for the severe weakness, paralysis, or inability to walk, caused by nitrous oxide abuse.

She said that at the height of his symptoms, the young man was unable to walk and had no feelings in his feet and fingers. 

While he’s now back on his feet he’s unable to walk unaided. 

“It’s a long road to recovery. They don’t know if he’ll ever be 100%,” his mother said.

She said the uncertainty is not only difficult to live with, but also a daily reminder of the effects of his decision to use laughing gas as a teen.

After her experience, the woman is sharing her story to warn other parents about the dangers of nitrous oxide.

“It’s important for other parents to see this to know what’s going on. We all fear cocaine and grass and hash. We all fear all that, but this is another fear that should be highlighted,” she said.

The woman is urging parents to be aware of the signs of nitrous oxide abuse by looking out for paraphernalia associated with it.

The drug, which can produce feelings of euphoria and giddiness, is inhaled using balloons, so users may leave balloons in cars or pockets. A white lid must be removed from the canisters before use, so this lid may also be visible, or the silver canister itself.

“There’s not a day I don’t go out and I don’t see canisters lying on football pitches, in ditches and at the side of the road,” she said.

“I can spot a person now when I’m out who’s abusing it by the way they walk. It’s horrible to watch.”

Young people in Ireland are increasingly being diagnosed with spinal cord damage caused by the recreational use of nitrous oxide, according to a new study of patients at Beaumont Hospital published earlier this month.

The research team said there has been a significant spike in injuries related to laughing gas since Covid-19, which it put down in part to its low cost and easy availability.

Reporters from The Journal Investigates recently found that the drug could easily be purchased within Ireland and that large canisters of nitrous oxide were being advertised on online classified sites. 

“Everything we know about drugs and alcohol suggests that you need to control supply and the availability of substances,” Trevor Bissett, a coordinator with the Clondalkin Drug and Alcohol Task Force told The Journal Investigates.

“And this one has no limitations around it at all.”

Abuse of the drug has been a significant issue in the UK for years, leading to the government criminalising possession of nitrous oxide in 2023.

The issue has repeatedly been brought up in the Daíl in recent years. Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan was asked this week by TD Tom Brabazon whether the government planned to regulate the drug.

O’Callaghan said the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010 criminalises the sale of nitrous oxide for human consumption, adding that he may consider further regulating its sale, but highlighted that the impact this would have on sale of the drug for legitimate purposes must also be considered.

However, he said it has been recognised that the drug is being imported for non-legitimate purposes, adding that Revenue Commissioners have seized 250,000 kg of nitrous oxide canisters.

- With reporting from David Mac Redmond

The HSE’s Drugs and Alcohol Helpline can be reached from 9.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, on 1800 459 459 or via helpline@hse.ie.