TOM RAWSTORNE: Linked to dozens of deaths and paralysis, why laughing gas is ... trends now

TOM RAWSTORNE: Linked to dozens of deaths and paralysis, why laughing gas is ... trends now
TOM RAWSTORNE: Linked to dozens of deaths and paralysis, why laughing gas is ... trends now

TOM RAWSTORNE: Linked to dozens of deaths and paralysis, why laughing gas is ... trends now

The extent of the ‘hippy crack’ problem first became apparent last summer in the wake of the Notting Hill carnival.

As extraordinary photos of the clear-up revealed, amongst the 300 tonnes of rubbish dumped by revellers were skip-fulls of industrial-grade canisters of nitrous oxide.

Designed for caterers to quickly and easily whip cream, they are instead now commonly used to get ‘high’.

The craze for filling up balloons with nitrous oxide, then breathing it in, has been around for some years.

The instant effect can be a buzz, including feelings of euphoria, calmness and fits of giggles – hence the drug’s nickname of ‘laughing gas’ and ‘hippy crack’.

But while nitrous oxide, which has the chemical formula N2O, had been viewed as a relatively harmless substance, concerns have mounted about the risks it poses to the health of a generation.

As extraordinary photos of the clear-up revealed, amongst the 300 tonnes of rubbish dumped by revellers were skip-fulls of industrial-grade canisters of nitrous oxide

As extraordinary photos of the clear-up revealed, amongst the 300 tonnes of rubbish dumped by revellers were skip-fulls of industrial-grade canisters of nitrous oxide 

Worried neurologists have warned they are seeing an increasing number of young people suffering from spinal cord and nerve damage.

In the worst cases, those affected have suffered life-changing impacts including paralysis. This is because heavy, regular use of the drug may result in a deficiency of vitamin B12 and a form of anaemia. Severe vitamin B deficiency can cause serious nerve damage.

A small but growing number of fatalities have also been directly attributed to the drug, with nitrous oxide named on 42 death certificates from 2010 to 2019.

If nitrous oxide is inhaled through the mouth from a pressurised canister or in a confined space, it can also cause sudden death through lack of oxygen.

Last year the family of Kayleigh Burns told how the 16-year-old had died after inhaling gas at a house party.

An asthmatic, she was taken to hospital after collapsing. While the precise cause of Kayleigh’s death has not yet been revealed, her relatives joined a growing chorus of those calling for the drug to be banned or restricted. ‘It’s all fun and games while you are taking it but the long-term effect on your body can be very dangerous,’ adds Kerry-Anne Donaldson.

The 25-year-old receptionist from London is in a wheelchair as a result of spinal damage caused by nitrous oxide which she started inhaling in 2017.

Last year the family of Kayleigh Burns (pictured) told how the 16-year-old had died after inhaling gas at a house party

Last year the family of Kayleigh Burns (pictured) told how the 16-year-old had died after inhaling gas at a house

read more from dailymail.....

NEXT In news vacuum, rumours and concern swirl over Catherine mogaznewsen