“MY SON DIED AFTER TAKING LAUGHING GAS” — FATHER DEMANDS ACTION AS NITROUS OXIDE CASES SURGE IN IRELAND

A grieving father whose 15-year-old son died after using nitrous oxide is urging Irish authorities to take stronger action as new figures reveal a sharp rise in people seeking treatment for misuse of the gas.

Mick Morrissey’s son, Alex, from Tallaght in south Dublin, died on May 20, 2020, after toxic poisoning linked to nitrous oxide, commonly known as “laughing gas.”

Six years later, Morrissey says he remains frustrated that the dangers of recreational nitrous oxide use are still not being adequately addressed.

Speaking to The Irish Sun, he called for a meeting with Ireland’s Health Minister, Dr. Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, saying he wants the government to take the issue more seriously.

“It’s ridiculous, the Government don’t care about it,” Morrissey said, according to The Irish Sun. He said he had previously tried to raise the issue with officials following his son’s death.

His warning comes as new Health Service Executive data shows that the number of people presenting for treatment for problematic nitrous oxide use increased from 30 cases in 2022 to 69 cases in 2025 — a rise of approximately 130 percent.

The figures were recorded through Ireland’s National Drug Treatment Reporting System.

Even more concerning, a large proportion of those cases involved young people.

Of the 69 cases recorded in 2025, 34 involved people aged 17 or younger, while another 28 involved people between the ages of 18 and 24. Across all recorded cases between 2022 and 2025, people under 18 accounted for 119 of 209 cases.

A GAS THAT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS HARM

Nitrous oxide has legitimate medical and commercial uses. It can be used in healthcare for pain relief and sedation and is also widely used in the food industry, including for whipped cream.

But recreational inhalation can have serious consequences.

Users commonly inhale the gas after filling a balloon from a canister, seeking a short-lived euphoric effect. Health experts have warned that misuse can result in dizziness, nausea, neurological injury, vitamin B12 deficiency, spinal cord and nerve damage, and severe cold-related injuries.

Irish doctors have also reported an increase in neurological problems associated with recreational nitrous oxide use.

A 2026 study involving Irish hospitals found that admissions involving neurological consequences following nitrous oxide misuse had increased substantially over a four-year period. The research recorded 63 hospital discharges associated with neurological conditions following nitrous oxide use between the first quarter of 2020 and the second quarter of 2024.

Ireland’s Joint Committee on Drugs Use has also highlighted concerns about nitrous oxide, including neurological injury, vitamin B12 deficiency, spinal nerve damage, frostbite injuries and other serious health effects.

“WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE?”

For Morrissey, the issue is deeply personal.

He said his son Alex was found slumped over a wall after using nitrous oxide and died in 2020.

Morrissey told The Irish Sun that he believes young people often do not fully understand the potential consequences of recreational use.

He also described seeing large numbers of discarded canisters in his community.

Dublin City Council has reported a 490 percent increase in the number of nitrous oxide canisters collected during clean-up operations, according to The Irish Sun.

The issue has also been raised repeatedly in Ireland’s parliament.

Sinn Féin TD Mark Ward has called for tighter regulation, pointing to the growing number of young people appearing for treatment and the increasing presence of discarded canisters in public spaces.

In July 2026, the government said it was not currently planning its own legislation specifically targeting nitrous oxide, noting that the substance has legitimate medical and catering uses. However, officials said an EU classification change scheduled for February 2027 will designate nitrous oxide as potentially harmful to human reproductive health and the nervous system.

A FATHER’S WARNING

Morrissey says he has spent years trying to draw attention to the dangers after losing his teenage son.

Now, as new figures show the number of treatment cases continuing to rise, he wants officials to meet with him and listen to families affected by nitrous oxide misuse.

“I’m tired, drained, and worn out over the last six years since Alex passed away,” he said.

His message is simple: the problem cannot be ignored until another family experiences the same loss.

The Irish Sun has launched its “No Laughing Matter” campaign, calling for stronger regulation of nitrous oxide sales and greater public awareness about the potential dangers of recreational use.

For families who have already experienced the consequences, however, the issue is far more than a political debate.

For Mick Morrissey, it is the memory of a 15-year-old son — and a warning he believes other parents should hear before it is too late.