On Wednesday, the NSW Government announced it will seek to ban the sale of nitrous oxide bulbs and canisters, or “nangs”, for under 18s. It will also seek to restrict their retailavailability.
Nitrous oxide or ‘laughing gas’ is used recreationally, with side effects including lung and neurological damage.
Lived experience advocate Sam Bramman said: “If these laws help even one young person avoid the road that I went down, it will be worth it.”
Background
Nitrous oxide is used for sedation and pain relief. It is a central nervous system depressant, which means it slows down brain activity.
The gas is also used in food preparation, for example to whip cream. This has made it accessible to purchase outside of clinical settings in canisters known as “nangs”.
As a recreational drug, it is inhaled. This can cause serious lung damage.
Regular use of nitrous oxide can inhibit the body’s use of vitamin B12, potentially causing neurological damage.
Restrictions
This week, the NSW Government announced planned restrictions on the purchase of nitrous oxide:
- No sales to anyone under 18 under any circumstances;
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- Retail sales limited to 250g of the bulbs per day, per customer;
- A ban on canisters with more than 10g of nitrous oxide;
- No same-day delivery and supply;
- No sales between 10pm and 5am; and
- No visible retail displays.
There will be some exceptions for medical and food use of nitrous oxide.
Comments
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the use of nangs is “escalating in our community,” causing a “profound impact on the health of our young people.”
Sam Bramman, a lived experience advocate, said because nangs were “cheap, easy to get... and legal” he “thought they were safe.”
The 21-year-old recently ran from Sydney to Canberra to raise awareness about nitrous oxide addiction.
