Perth Teenager Suffers Nitrous Oxide Poisoning from “Nangs” Addiction
Molly Day, a 19-year-old from Perth, may never walk again due to her addiction to “nangs,” or nitrous oxide. Molly’s addiction was fueled by purchasing behind-the-counter canisters on credit, leaving her parents to pick up the pieces both physically and financially. She is now bed-bound in a Perth hospital with nitrous oxide poisoning, unable to feel anything from her waist down. Molly is speaking out to warn others about the dangers of this addiction.
The Dangers of “Nangs”
Molly’s addiction to “nangs” started as seemingly harmless fun at some end-of-school celebrations but quickly spiraled out of control. She would inhale one to two 1.3-liter canisters every day, starving her brain of oxygen while racking up a debt worth thousands of dollars. She purchased the gas on buy now, pay later apps from smoke shops and convenience stores across Perth.
Molly’s reality became so blurred that she crashed two cars in the last two months while falling asleep behind the wheel on the freeway and sideswiping another car. It was her twin sister Piper who raised the alarm first, sharing her suspicions with their mother. When they went into Molly’s room, they found 30 canisters of nitrous oxide.
The Consequences of Addiction
Molly promised she’d stop, but temptation took over until the consequences caught up with her body. She drove herself to the hospital two weeks ago suffering from numb, tingly legs. Now, she may never walk again. Her mother, an emergency nurse, hopes this story will serve as a warning to all teenagers.
The Need for Change
Molly and her mother want the government to change the law when it comes to the sale of nitrous oxide. As an emergency nurse, Nicky Day says that they have to do training to administer nitrous oxide in the emergency department, yet kids can just go and buy it. A Current Affair visited a smoke shop selling the dangerous party gas in the form of whipped cream canisters and asked an employee behind the counter how it made them feel to learn a teenage girl had bought them and whether it was upsetting. The employee admitted it made them “feel disgusted” and said they didn’t think nitrous oxide should be sold at all.
Conclusion
Molly Day’s story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of addiction and the need for change in the sale of nitrous oxide. Molly’s addiction to “nangs” had devastating consequences, leaving her bed-bound in a Perth hospital. Her mother hopes that this story will serve as a warning to all teenagers and that the government will take action to prevent others from suffering the same fate.
Source: 9now.nine.com.au
