‘Silver bullets’ canisters found in large numbers in local parks

Nitrous oxide canisters are being “found in large numbers” in public parks and spaces across south county Dublin.

Data collected by the council show that smaller ‘silver bullets’ and larger canisters of nitrous oxide are still being found in large numbers around the county, in “recreational areas where the substance is being used and also on roadsides where the canisters are being discarded”.

Also known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide has several uses, such as an anesthetic gas when mixed with air, to inflate balloons or in small silver cartridges for use in whipped cream canisters, nicknamed ‘silver bullets’.

These silver bullets 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.

The data gathered by South Dublin County Council since 2021 shows that nitrous oxide use “is occurring across the county however it cannot be used to determine how widespread this use is”.

SDCC director of climate action Teresa Walsh shared this information at the September monthly meeting after Cllr Niamh Fennell (SF) asked for a “report of the prevalence of dumping of nitrous oxide canisters”.

The reply from Ms Walsh stated that finds of silver bullets across the county indicate use of the canisters at some locations, while other cases indicate that they have been dumped in large quantities.

“The finds of larger canisters of the substance appear to be more frequent now with each of these estimated to be equivalent to approximately 50 ‘silver bullets’.,” Ms Walsh continued.

“It has not been possible to quantify the number of small canisters found as on occasions they have been found to number in the hundreds at a location.”

Nitrous oxide is not illegal, however a bill is before the Dáil since April 2025 to “regulate and licence the sale of nitrous oxide to exempted purchasers and to prohibit the sale of nitrous oxide and nitrous oxide products to a person who has not attained the age of 18 years”.

Ms Walsh said that the council would “continue to play any role they can” in combatting the issue, but that there is “little by way of enforcement action open to the authorities in this regard”.

Cllr Fennell’s query also asked for advice for the public on how to dispose of nitrous oxide canisters and “the cost to the council in disposing” of them.

“The recommended way to dispose of Nitrous Oxide Canisters is at the nearest recycling centre such as Ballymount Civic Amenity Centre,” Ms Walsh said, adding that those unable to use their nearest recycling centre can dispose of canisters in their household general waste bin.

“As these items are not managed as a separate waste stream it is not possible for the council to determine the cost to collect and dispose of them at this time,” she said.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme