24/7 ‘nang delivery’ groups make it easy for young people to get high off dangerous nitrous oxide
Two hours was all it took for The Daily Telegraph to get a set of 100 ‘nangs’— a popular recreational drug that can cause brain damage — delivered.
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Two hours was all it took for The Daily Telegraph to get a set of 100 ‘nangs’— a recreational drug that can cause brain damage — delivered.
Health professionals are worried the popularity of ‘24/7 nang delivery’ groups on social media is driving more young people to inhale nitrous oxide recreationally.
The small canisters are designed for whipping cream, but known as ‘nangs’ they contain nitrous oxide and are increasingly being used by young people to get high.
The Daily Telegraph bought 100 nangs for $140 off one of the multiple people offering ‘nang’ delivery on Facebook.
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Pages advertising them state users should buy them to “start your weekend the right way” or “have a nang with the gang”.
They are sold in party sets with balloons for inhaling the gas and “crackers” to open the canisters.
The man who sold the canisters to The Daily Telegraph said most people bought them to inhale.
When asked whether he thought it was responsible to sell “nangs” online he said “yes and no”.
He said he was not aware nitrous oxide could cause brain damage.
AMA NSW President Dr Kean Seng Lim blasted the online sale of nitrous oxide as “irresponsible”.
Dr Lim said inhaling the gas carried serious health risks, including potential brain and lung damage.
“It’s blatant disregard for others’ safety,” Dr Lim said.
“You can overdose on this stuff, it can impact your blood pressure making you faint or if you have heart problems cause a heart attack. It can also cause brain damage.
“Even if it’s a single use, it will impair your judgment and could cause harm to yourself and others quite inadvertently.”
Dr Lim said for those using “nangs” regularly the risk of brain damage was higher as well as other side effects like memory problems. The Global Drug Survey reports nitrous oxide is now the seventh-most popular drug in the world.
Originally published as 24/7 ‘nang delivery’ groups make it easy for young people to get high off dangerous nitrous oxide
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