THE GOVERNMENT HAS been urged to take action and regulate the sale of nitrous oxide following its classification by the EU as toxic for human reproduction and the nervous system.

Sinn Féin TD Mark Ward, who has been vocal on the issue, has drafted legislation to ban the sale of nitrous oxide to the public and is appealing to the government to cooperate with him and pass the bill. 

Also known as ‘laughing gas’, the substance is sold in canisters, which often end up as litter on the streets, and are used by teens and young people for short highs.  

The colourless, sweet-smelling gas is sometimes used in medicine for sedation or pain relief. It is also used in catering to make whipped cream, making policing its import and use challenging.

In recent years, recreational use has surged.

Its use can have devastating impacts, with multiple deaths in Europe of teenagers and people in their 20s, including 15-year-old Tallaght teenager Alex Ryan, who was found dead after apparently ingesting the substance in 2020.

As a result of the passing of a European Union Delegated Act, which classifies the substance as harmful, the European Commission plans to update existing restrictions on its sale. 

Ward has said there is no reason for the Irish government to wait, given that the harms are already known. 

“Studies have shown the harm to reproduction that medical and dental staff faced when exposed to small amounts of the gas in the course of their work. These studies showed decreased fertility in these workers,” Ward said.

“My fear is that people are using nitrous oxide as a quick high and they are taking much more concentrated doses of the gas than the staff in those studies.

“I am particularly worried for young people who are using it in this way,” he added. 

Recently, The Journal Investigates found large canisters of nitrous oxide for sale on online classified ad sites, including the Irish version of Amazon.

Nitrous oxide is not currently a controlled substance under Ireland’s Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, though it is an offence to sell a psychoactive substance – which nitrous oxide is – for human consumption.

After much campaigning, it was classified as a controlled drug in the UK in 2023.

Ward’s bill, which is currently before the Dáil, aims to restrict the drug’s misuse by introducing age restrictions for under-18s.

Includes reporting from Conor O’Carroll.