Tobin Seeks Tougher Laws on Nitrous Oxide

A motion calling for national legislation to tackle the growing misuse of nitrous oxide also known as laughing gas received unanimous support at Monday’s meeting of Meath County Council.

Ashbourne Fine Gael councillor Alan Tobin brought forward the motion, urging the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, to develop a comprehensive strategy and introduce legislation to regulate the sale, use and misuse of the gas, particularly among young people.

Cllr Tobin also called for legal provisions that would allow An Garda Síochána to test drivers involved in road traffic collisions for the presence of nitrous oxide in their blood, warning that the substance is increasingly being misused as a recreational drug and poses a serious public safety risk.

Nitrous oxide is widely used in the medical field, particularly in dentistry, for its anaesthetic and pain-relieving properties. It is also used in the food industry in the production of whipped cream. However, it has become popular among young people for its short-term euphoric effects when inhaled.

“It’s being used in cars, in car parks, and on roadsides across the county,” said Cllr Tobin. “You can see the canisters, cardboard boxes and balloons dumped everywhere. It’s not currently illegal, and it’s not detectable during roadside drug or alcohol testing. That needs to change.”

Cllr Tobin cited real-life examples of the dangers posed by the gas, including witnessing road incidents involving impaired drivers.

“I’ve seen evidence of traffic collisions where drivers were off their heads on this stuff,” he said. “One evening, a food delivery driver even arrived at my house by mistake, with a takeaway in one hand and more worryingly a naggin of vodka and a canister of Fast Gas in the other. It raises the question, are we now seeing home deliveries of mind-altering substances to underage teenagers?”

He highlighted the death of a 15-year-old boy in 2020 from nitrous oxide misuse as a tragic reminder of the risks involved and urged the Government to act before further lives are lost.

Cllr Tobin said he hopes the Government will classify nitrous oxide as a drug, regulate its sale more tightly, and introduce a registration process and deposit-return scheme for suppliers. He also raised concerns over the marketing of the product.

“Bright, trendy branding like ‘Galaxy Gas,’ ‘Fast Gas’ and ‘Phantom Whip’ makes it look like a fun consumer product, not something meant for controlled industry use,” he said. “The criminal underworld has copped on to how lucrative this is. They're making huge profits while young people suffer. And it’s all over social media platforms like TikTok.”

His motion calls on the Minister to assess the scale of the problem, consult with stakeholders, and develop solutions to curb access and misuse of nitrous oxide.

“We await the Minister’s response,” he said.