RPS Chief Scientist Gino Martini has been raising awareness on the dangers of the drug nitrous oxide in the media, highlighting the risks it poses to young people.
Also known as ‘laughing gas’ or ‘Nos’, it is used illegally to achieve a brief high by slowing down responses in the brain and body. Inhaling nitrous oxide depletes vitamin B12 and repeated use can damage nerves and even the spinal cord, leading to a loss of feeling and use in the limbs. .
It is estimated that almost 9% of individuals aged between 16 to 24 have used the drug, which is the equivalent to over half a million young adults in England and Wales. There have been 36 deaths in Great Britain specifically associated with nitrous oxide between 2001-2016 (ONS)
Gino has been explaining the dangers of the drug across broadcast and print media from health journals such as British Medical Journal, to interviews on regional BBC radio, Channel 5 news and in the national press, such as The Sun and Daily Mail.
We are also working with MPs ahead of a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday 21 July so they can emphasise the significance of the issue in Parliament.
Watch Gino talk about the dangers of Nitrous Oxide on BBC News Channel on 21 July: