Three and a half tonnes of nitrous oxide canisters were collected at Notting Hill carnival in London this year. According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, nitrous oxide (also known as nos, whippits and laughing gas) is the second most commonly used recreational drug after cannabis among 16- to 24-year-olds.
Nitrous oxide use is a growing and worrying trend. One of the authors (Nikos Evangelou) was on call last week at an NHS hospital in Nottingham when an 18-year-old man was admitted unable to move his legs due to inhaling too much nos. The same week, another young man came to the emergency department with similar but milder symptoms after nos exposure. Two GPs also called in the same week for advice about three young patients with very similar symptoms after inhaling nos.
