Young woman left bedbound after taking part in dangerous high school trend
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, used nitrous oxide for the first time during her end-of-year school celebrations to mark the end of Year 12.
“They were so easily available, you could get them at smoke shops, convenience stores and get them online 24/7, so it was very popular [with] especially teenagers,” Ms. Day said ABC.
What started as a bit of fun slowly turned into a serious addiction when she started using the substance herself after her friends discovered the gas was available in larger canisters.
Molly Day, 20 (pictured), who lives in Perth, said she became addicted to nangs after first trying the drug at her end-of-year school party last year
Ms Day said her addiction became so bad that one morning she couldn’t even get out of bed.
“I actually did them the night before and I woke up that morning with almost complete paralysis,” she said.
“By the time I got to the hospital, within a day or two I couldn’t even stand, couldn’t walk, couldn’t feel anything.”
Nitrous oxide is a colorless gas commonly administered by healthcare professionals as a type of anesthetic to provide pain relief to patients.
The drug can cause major health consequences, including memory loss, a weakened immune system and psychosis, if used excessively.
Consuming the drug in large quantities can lead to permanent damage to the brain and spinal cord.
Ms Day said she spent a lot of money buying nitrous oxide to fuel her addiction.
Dozens of retailers, including food delivery platforms, will allow people to order nangs and have them delivered at all hours of the day.
The availability of the substance has led to an unhealthy habit among Aussies using nangs.
The 20-year-old (pictured right) was unable to walk for a while after she started consuming the nitrous oxide in larger quantities
Figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show that of the 300,000 people who used inhalants between 2022 and 2023, 56 percent used nitrous oxide.
Dr. Jeremy Haylar, clinical director of the Alcohol and Drug Service for Metro North Mental Health in Queensland, said a young student in Sydney, who is often referenced in medical studies, would spend $750 a day to buy nitrous oxide.
“She was disconnected from reality, she heard voices and was very confused, so she went to hospital because the effects had happened so quickly,” he said.
About 600,000 Australians have used nitrous oxide at some point in their lives and the substance has been linked to the deaths of 20 people between 2000 and 2021, according to findings from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Center.
Dr. Haylar, one of dozens of medical professionals dealing with the effects of nangs overuse firsthand, said the gas’s effects are devastating.
He treated a patient who lost control of his bladder after taking high doses of nitrous oxide, and the person has still not recovered from the health problem.
“They had a urinary catheter and they also lost feeling in their legs, which made them very unsteady on their feet,” he said.
Mrs Day, who spent three months in rehabilitation before being able to walk again, has still not fully regained feeling in her legs a year after she started treatment.
Health experts are increasingly concerned about the accessibility of nitrous oxide, which is sold in cans (photo), because the substance can cause major health problems
She urged others not to use nangs and hopes her horrific ordeal will serve as an example to those thinking of consuming nitrous oxide.
‘This [nangs] is something that affects everyone, it has nothing to do with gender, it has nothing to do with weight,” she said.
“That one nang could potentially kill you and put you in the position I was in, and it’s honestly just not worth it.”
Widespread concerns about nangs prompted the Western Australian government to ban the sale of nitrous oxide canisters.
The state government will amend the Medicines and Poisons Regulations 2016 to ensure that the supply of nangs can only be used by registered food businesses.
Health experts have urged other states to take similar measures in an effort to limit the number of young people with access to large nitrous oxide canisters.
Possessing or selling the gas is not illegal in most states in Australia unless there is a risk that users will inhale the drug.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will now require nitrous oxide to have a “do not inhale” label on buses after the change was introduced in 2022.
Ms Day (pictured) has urged others not to use nangs and warned people they could suffer irreversible health damage if they overuse the substance