‘Drivers were off their heads on this stuff’ – Use of laughing gas on the rise in Meath
Concerns have been raised about the misuse of nitrous oxide — commonly known as laughing gas.
At the October meeting of Meath County Council, Ashbourne Fine Gael councillor Alan Tobin called on a national legislation to be developed to tackle the growing misuse of the gas.
His intention was to write to the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, to develop “a strategy and legislation that will bring in strict controls.”
“It’s being used in cars, in car parks, and on roadsides across the county,” said Cllr Tobin.
“You can see the canisters, cardboard boxes and balloons dumped everywhere. It’s not currently illegal, and it’s not detectable during roadside drug or alcohol testing. That needs to change.”
Cllr Tobin also called for measures to allow An Garda Síochána to test drivers involved in road traffic collisions for the presence of nitrous oxide in their blood, warning that the substance is increasingly being used as a recreational drug and poses a serious public safety risk.
“I’ve seen evidence of traffic collisions where drivers were off their heads on this stuff,” he said
Nitrous oxide is widely used in medicine, particularly in dentistry, for its anaesthetic and pain-relieving properties, and in the food industry for producing whipped cream.
However, it has become popular among young people for its short-term euphoric effects when inhaled.
According to Drugs.ie, inhaling nitrous oxide directly from a canister can cause frost bite to the mouth and nose. It can also cause a drop in oxygen levels and affect a person’s heart and blood pressure.
Cllr Tobin highlighted the death of a 15-year-old boy in 2020 from nitrous oxide misuse as a tragic reminder of the dangers involved and said urgent government action was needed to prevent further fatalities.
He urged the Minister to classify nitrous oxide as a controlled drug, regulate its sale more tightly, and introduce a registration and deposit-return scheme for suppliers.
He also raised concerns about how the product is being marketed and how “lucrative” it is.
“They’re making huge profits while young people suffer — and it’s all over social media platforms like TikTok.”