In England, the distraught mother of a laughing gas overdose victim has pleaded with ministers to designate the lethal dose as a class-A substance.
Ellen, Sharon Cook’s daughter, got addicted to the party drug and died at the age of 24. Sharon said she didn’t know her daughter was an addict.
She described to the media the time when a medical professional contacted her to let her know her daughter had died. A caller informed Sharon that Ellen died of a stroke and heart attack. They informed her that nitrous oxide was to blame.
Ellen, a business student, became critically ill in February of last year and died the day after she was admitted to the hospital.
Nitrous oxide is a gas that’s used for sedation and pain treatment, but it is also used to feel inebriated or euphoric, according to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF).
Dentists and doctors use it to put patients to sleep while they conduct little operations. In addition to its application in the automobile sector to improve engine efficiency, it is also a culinary ingredient when used as a propellant for whipped cream.
People who are undergoing alcohol withdrawal are also finding it to be an effective treatment. As a dissociative anesthetic, nitrous oxide may cause the user to feel like they’re floating, have warped perceptions, and, in some circumstances, have visual hallucinations.
Feelings of exhilaration, drowsiness, uncontrollable laughing, impaired eyesight, heart palpitations, and even death may occur after only a few minutes of exposure.
Memory loss, vitamin B12 deficiency, incontinence, insanity, spasms, and even death may occur with continuous exposure to nitrous oxide.
Sharon urged the government to impose harsher punishments.
According to her, it’s already against the law, and they must do more.
She said people should be imprisoned if they are found selling it.
She urged the public to stay away from it. Don’t risk your life for it.
A thorough investigation into Ellen’s death is expected.
In the UK, laughing gas was outlawed in November 2023. Repeat offenders can receive a maximum sentence of two years in prison.
