Discarded Nitrous Oxide canister in Fettercairn, Tallaght
Demand for ban on ‘harmful’ nitrous oxide drug
Calls have been made for the Irish government to ban the sale of nitrous oxide after the EU passed an act classifying the gas as harmful to the human reproductive system.
Also known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide has several uses, such as an anaesthetic gas when mixed with air, to inflate balloons or in small silver cartridges for use in whipped cream canisters known as “whippets”.
These whippets are the most common form of the drug that people use recreationally, and recreational use has soared in Ireland in recent years.
The Clondalkin Youth Drug and Alcohol Project (YDAP) has reported teens as young as 12 years presenting to their service for treatment for nitrous oxide use.
It has also been linked to multiple deaths of young people across Europe, including the tragic death of 15-year-old Tallaght teenager Alex Ryan Morrisey, who was found dead after apparently ingesting the substance in May 2020.
A recently passed European Union Delegated Act has now classified the substance as harmful and the European Commission plans to update existing restrictions on its sale.
Dublin Mid West TD Mark Ward (SF) is calling on the government not to wait for the EU regulations and to prohibit the sale of nitrous oxide products to the general public now.
“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,” Deputy 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.
Nitrous oxide is not currently a controlled substance under the Misuse od Drugs Act 1977 but is classed as a psychoactive substance which is illegal to sell for human consumption in Ireland.
Deputy Ward has drafted legislation to ban the sale of the gas to the public and is calling for cooperation from the government to ensure that this happens in a timely manner.
“There is no reason why the government needs to wait for the go-ahead from Europe, we already know its harms,” he added.
“We have all seen the amount of discarded nitrous oxide cannisters in our areas increase, going from the small silver bullets to the larger industrial cannisters.
“This cannot wait. Nitrous oxide must be regulated so that the general public are protected.”
