I would like to alert you to a public health issue that some parents might not be aware of.
The issue was brought to my attention by a local father, who I have been assisting since 2024.
The constituent and his family have been affected by their son’s heavy use of nitrous oxide, a highly accessible substance commonly used in cooking and medical procedures.
In recent years, nitrous oxide has found its way into recreational drug use, where it is referred to as ‘nangs’.
Nangs are regularly obtained by extracting nitrous oxide canisters from whipped cream, and can be inhaled directly, or secondarily through a vessel, such as a balloon.
There are a range of concerning immediate and long-term health risks associated with inhaling nangs.
Immediate risks include loss of blood pressure, fainting, heart attack, and hypoxia, especially if too much is inhaled or the user has a pre-existing health condition.
Long-term use can lead to brain and nerve damage, ringing in ears, numbness in hands and feet, incontinence, limb spasms, birth defects in utero, weakened immune system and reproductive damage.
Regular use can also impact mental health, leading to depression, psychological dependence, and psychosis.
The father told me his son developed a nang addiction in his final years of high school.
His addiction lead to social problems and anti-social behaviour, including dangerous driving, which prompted an intervention from his parents to have his licence cancelled.
The boy’s transition from high school to further study or work has been servery impacted by several hospitalisations as a result of mental health issues.
While the physical and mental health issues related to nangs are concerning on their own, even more worrying is the availability and accessibility of the substance.
Currently in Queensland there is no legislation that limits the sale of nitrous oxide to the public, and they can be bought by anyone in convenience stores, supermarkets, kitchen supplies retailers and over the internet.
Online delivery companies even offer delivery to some areas, including South East Queensland.
These services promote themselves as providing catering supplies to bars and restaurants.
Despite this, many of their products are marketed toward young people, using video game and other pop culture references on certain items, including balloons.
Worrying trends such as the addition of flavours to products, the sale of produce in larger containers and the establishment of many 24/7 home delivery services indicate an expansion of this industry.
Since meeting with this family, I have met with several stakeholders to gain an understanding of the issue.
These stakeholders include the Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union (QNMU) and the Queensland Branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMAQ).
They mentioned that some state jurisdictions have taken strong action on this issue, with South Australia and Western Australia leading this response.
South Australia, for example, introduced provisions in 2019 to prevent the sale of nitrous oxide to people aged under 18 except for legitimate business use.
Going further, Western Australia made legislative amendments in 2024 to only permit the supply of nitrous oxide bulbs to business registered or notified as food businesses and businesses that hold certain types of liquor licences.
These jurisdictions have led the way in this space and I believe they could lead to positive health outcomes for young people and their families.
This is why I have written to the Health Minister to examine these approaches and consider these regulations in Queensland.
