A teenager from Perth may never walk again after becoming addicted to nangs, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. Nangs are nitrous oxide canisters that are used to inhale laughing gas.
Molly Day, 19, says she got hooked on the drug shortly after leaving high school. “Two weeks ago, I was a perfectly healthy walking girl, and now I can’t do anything for myself. I can’t walk, I can’t control anything.
It’s so deadly,” she said. Although the West Australian government introduced new laws to limit the sale of nitrous oxide gas canisters, Molly’s mother, Nicky Day, believes more needs to be done to prevent young people from obtaining the drug.
Nitrous oxide is often considered a “safe” drug, but experts warn that long-term use can cause brain and nerve damage.
Despite this, the number of people using nangs is increasing in Australia, with inhalant use jumping from 0.4% in 2001 to 1.7% in 2019, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
