A doctor has said nitrous oxide is "more dangerous than cocaine" with some young people taking more than 150 canisters a day.
Dr David Nicholl, consultant neurologist and clinical lead at City Hospital in Birmingham, said he now sees more patients struggling with side effects of 'nos' than cocaine abuse. Laughing gas is the second most-used drug among 16-24-year-olds.
He said that the volume of young people taking the substance has rocketed since the pandemic. Side effects of using the substance includes dizziness, weakness in the legs and impaired memory.
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Dr Nicholl said: “I’ve been a neurologist for 21 years and have seen a definite change in how it's being used since the pandemic. Compared to before, now the volumes of nitrous oxide being consumed can be quite terrifying – up to 150 cylinders per day.
Dr Nicholl said nitrous oxide is “a bigger health risk than cocaine” at the moment due to how prevalent the drug is. He added: "I have a patient every few years because of cocaine, but one every week due to nitrous oxide."
He also argued that labelling the drug as laughing gas makes it sound "trivial". Dr Nicholl said "The stuff bought on the street is pure nitrous oxide and not safe for human consumption."
Dr Nicholl has issued warnings about how sellers operate, claiming they resemble an "organised crime group". He said: “They know exactly what they’re doing. They even have QR codes printed on the side of cannisters to go buy more – that's how easy it is to access."
However, Dr Nicholl was keen to stress the drug should not be banned, which tallies with the view in a recent report commissioned by the government.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs argued that a ban would be disproportionate in relation to the harmful effects of the drug and create "significant burdens" for legitimate uses of the substance.
Dr Nicholl said: “A ban is the wrong approach. In what way are we solving the problem by criminalising a 16-year-old with a couple of whip-its and a balloon on the street? All we would do is drive it underground."
Dr Nicholl instead advocated for targeting the supply chain of nitrous oxide and increased education on the dangers of the drug. This line of thought was also argued by Dr Gareth Nye of the University of Chester.
Speaking to the ECHO last week, he said: "With additional education and increasing policing powers, there is a hope that usage of the drug will decline and with it, the serious side effects will be less also."
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