A young woman who became addicted to nangs as a teenager said the substance left her temporarily bedridden and unable to walk.
Molly Day, 20, who lives in Perth, first used nitrous oxide at school end-of-year celebrations to mark the end of Year 12.
“They were so easily accessible that you could get them in tobacconists, corner stores and online 24/7, so it was very popular (especially among) teenagers,” Ms. Day. ABC.
What started as a laugh slowly turned into a serious addiction, when she began using the substance herself after her friends discovered that the gas was available in larger bottles.
Molly Day, 20 (pictured), who lives in Perth, said she became addicted to nangs after trying the substance for the first time at her end-of-year school party last year.
Day said his addiction got so bad that one morning he couldn’t even get out of bed.
“I was actually doing them the night before and I woke up that morning with almost complete paralysis,” he said.
“When I got to the hospital, after a day or two, I couldn’t even stand up, I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t feel anything.”
Nitrous oxide is a colorless gas that is commonly administered by healthcare professionals as a type of anesthetic to relieve pain in patients.
The drug can cause significant health effects, including memory loss, a weakened immune system, and psychosis, if the substance is used in excess.
Consumption of the drug in large quantities can cause permanent damage to the brain and spinal cord.
Day said he spent a lot of money buying nitrous oxide to feed his addiction.
Dozens of retailers, including food delivery platforms, will allow people to order nangs and receive them at any time of the day.
The availability of the substance has led to an unhealthy habit among Australians who use nangs.
The 20-year-old (pictured right) was unable to walk for a period of time after she began consuming laughing gas in large quantities.
Figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed that among the 300,000 people who used inhalants between 2022 and 2023, 56 per cent used nitrous oxide.
Dr Jeremy Haylar, clinical director of the Alcohol and Drug Service at Metro North Mental Health in Queensland, said a young Sydney student, who is often referred to in medical studies, would spend $750 a day to buy nitrous oxide .
“She had no connection with reality, she heard voices and was very confused, so she went to the hospital because those effects had appeared very quickly,” he said.
About 600,000 Australians have used nitrous oxide at some point and the substance has been associated with the deaths of 20 people between 2000 and 2021, findings from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Center show.
Dr. Haylar, who is among dozens of medical professionals facing first-hand the impacts of overuse of nangs, said the effects of the gas are devastating.
He treated a patient who lost control of his bladder after consuming nitrous oxide in high doses, and the person has not yet recovered from the health problem.
“They had an indwelling urinary catheter and they also lost feeling in their legs, so they were very unstable,” he said.
Mrs Day, who spent three months in rehabilitation before she was able to start walking again, has still not fully regained feeling in her legs a year after starting her treatment.
Health experts are increasingly concerned about the accessibility of nitrous oxide, which is sold in canisters (pictured), as the substance can cause significant health problems.
He urged others not to use nangs and hopes his horrible experience will serve as an example to those thinking about taking nitrous oxide.
“This (nangs) is something that affects everyone, it has nothing to do with gender, it has nothing to do with weight,” he said.
“It could be that nang that could possibly kill you and put you in the position I was in and honestly it’s not worth it.”
Widespread concerns about nangs led the Western Australian government to ban the sale of nitrous oxide canisters.
The state government will amend the Drugs and Poisons Regulations 2016 to ensure that the supply of nangs is only permitted to registered food businesses.
Health experts have urged other states to implement similar measures in a bid to restrict the number of young people who can access large canisters of nitrous oxide.
Possessing or selling petrol is not illegal in most Australian states unless there is a risk of users inhaling the drug.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) now requires nitrous oxide to have a “do not inhale” label to be included on containers after the change was introduced in 2022.
Ms Day (pictured) urged others not to use nangs and warned people they could suffer irreversible damage to their health if they use the substance too much.
