7 days ago
The use of ‘laughing gas' canisters on the rise in parks across south Dublin
The small cylinders – or 'silver bullets' – are being dumped in places like Liffey Valley, Collinstown Park, Knocklyon Height and Adamstown, according to a spokesperson for South Dublin County Council (SDCC).
They were responding to a question by Social Democrat councillor Eoin Ó Broin on its mapping of the locations of discarded nitrous oxide canisters in public land.
'The finds of larger cannisters of the substance appear to be more frequent now, with each of these estimated to be equivalent to approximately 50 silver bullets,' the statement said.
'It has not been possible to quantify the number of small cannisters found as, on occasions, they have been found to number in the hundreds at some locations.'
The sale and possession of the chemical – usually used as a sedative by dentists – is legal in Ireland.
Canisters are also used in catering for whipped cream dispensers and can be bought online for as little as €30 for a box of 50.
According to inhaling nitrous oxide directly from a canister can cause frost bite to the mouth and nose.
It can also cause a drop in oxygen levels and affect a person's heart and blood pressure.
The dumping of the canisters was first raised at an SDCC meeting in 2021, when the executive began forming a map of problem areas based on information from constituents.
On April 30, the Sale of Nitrous Oxide and Related Products Bill was presented at the Dail to try and regulate its sale to limited purchasers.
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During a debate on the issue, Mark Ward, TD for the Constituency of Dublin Mid-West said: 'A recent report published by the HSE's adolescent addiction service has shown that 22pc of young people presenting at its services for help have admitted to taking nitrous oxide.
'This is an increase of 175pc in a year, but that only captures the young people who are presenting and looking for help; it does not capture the ones who have not got to that stage yet.'
Deaths have been reported due to the misuse of laughing gas in Europe and the UK. In Ireland, a teenage boy in Tallaght died after ingesting nitrous oxide five years ago.
Between 2001 and 2020, 56 deaths were reported in the UK where its use its use has been more widely reported.
