TDs calls for government to strictly regulate sale of 'laughing gas'

A TD IS calling on the government to strictly regulate the sale of nitrous oxide, often referred to as “laughing gas”.

Sinn Féin TD Mark Ward is introducing legislation to the Dáil today that, if passed, would limit the sale of nitrous oxide to commercial uses only.

The Sale of Nitrous Oxide and Related Products Bill 2025 would prohibit the sale of nitrous oxide and related products to anyone under the age of 18.

It would also give powers to gardaí to seize nitrous oxide products from anyone without the necessary licences.

“You only have to walk through any park or housing estate in Dublin and beyond and you will see discarded nitrous canisters,” said Ward in a statement released today.

“When I first noticed them in my area, they were small singular one-use canisters, known locally as ‘silver bullets’. Over time this has changed to large industrial sized canisters, known as fast gas. These large canisters are sold on the street.”

Ward said that “unscrupulous dealers” and manufacturers are “making vast profits from the sale of nitrous oxide” and that the gas is being “marketed towards children”.

“Young people are playing Russian roulette when they use this gas. Inhaling Nitrous Oxide cuts off oxygen to the brain resulting in lightheaded and giddy affects. This is where the name laughing gas comes from, but let me tell you, laughing gas is no laughing matter,” he said.

In 2023, a report by the HSE’s Adolescent Addiction Service in west Dublin said that 22% of the teenagers using its service said they had taken nitrous oxide on occasion, which was a 175% increase compared to the year before. It was the third highest substance used after cannabis and alcohol.

The effects of using nitrous oxide can include sensory issues like a numbness in the hands and feet, issues with balance, heart rate problems, and poor mental health..

Ward said there has also been an increase in young people presenting for help after getting frostbite from using nitrous oxide.

“Scarring is a really significant thing. Some of the patients presented with burns around the lips and fingertips and can take some months to resolve,” he said.

“There is also an environmental impact after several incinerators and waste management facilities around Europe suffered major damage when canisters exploded in their furnaces and compactors.”

The bill is due to be introduced to the Dáil this afternoon.

A 2024 version of the bill had been introduced previously but it lapsed when the Dáil was dissolved before the election.