Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. It is very encouraging that he has acted quickly by seeking a report from the HSE around the prevalence of nitrous oxide use in Ireland. Young people seem to have no idea that this product is killing and paralysing their counterparts elsewhere in Europe. I agree we need and education campaign so that they are aware of the consequences. We also need to start recording how many people are affected by abusing nitrous oxide. At the moment we are relying on media reports to tell us of hospitalisations and deaths. There should be official HSE data recording this problem so that we can understand it and the extent of it and I welcome the Minister of State’s move to gather this kind of information.

We need to limit the availability of this product. Due to the fact that it has genuine uses in the food and medical industries, it is freely available to legally purchase. I am not aware of any law banning its sale to persons under 18 years of age. It is illegal to sell it for human consumption but it is impossible to prove that that is the case and that leaves gardaí powerless to act. Belgium is planning to ban the sale of nitrous oxide to persons under 18 years of age and we should follow suit. The Netherlands is investigating banning nitrous oxide altogether and perhaps there is a point in us establishing whether its legal uses can be fulfilled by other means. If so, then maybe we should move to do the same.

Search engines should not be profiting at the expense of our children’s health by selling ads encouraging people to buy this product online. In fact, this product should not be available for purchase online at all. Our young people need to be aware that mild symptoms like a headache, tingling in the arms and legs or numbness can be the first step to ending up in a wheelchair or worse.

Will the Minister of State commit not just to working on a strategy that communicates the dangers of nitrous oxide but to work on a strategy that reduces access to the purchase of these gas canisters which are on sale right now online for as little as €1? I did not have to search very hard last night to find this used canister. They litter my local parks in Lucan, Clondalkin, Rathcoole and Palmerston. We need to act now to protect out young people.

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