Laughing gas misuse a 'growing concern' as doctors diagnose 18 people with neurological disorder

One young person said they had consumed 14 canisters a day for three weeks, while another had ‘binged’ six 580g canisters prior to admission. File photo

Doctors at Tallaght University Hospital diagnosed 18 young people with a neurological disorder caused by inhaling nitrous oxide, or ‘laughing gas’, during a recent 20-month period.

The patients attended the hospital’s emergency department suffering from myeloneuropathy, a condition caused by damage to both the spinal cord and peripheral nerves.