Cosmopolitan - Doctor to give opinion on laughing gas set to be banned

I have spoken on this Matter in an interview with sky news as well . It’s a welcoming step - it must be banned , it’s being sold to 16 year olds . It can lead to irreversible disability, a life of being wheelchair bound at such a young age . The irony is that there no awareness around how harmful it is , readily uses in multi-generational households as no stench to it . Can’t be recognised and easily concealed.
The amount of patients I see in a week , the sheer rise In numbers in the past 12-24 months is astounding. We must save our future generations now.

Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) has verified medical uses in analgesia -eg during labour as entonox (NO mixed with O2) or other minor procedures
However, inappropriate (ab)use can be very harmful.
Excessive consumption can lead to marked B12 deficiency which itself can lead to subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord (SCD) i.e. it can paralyse you. It can also lead to altered sensations, mental disturbances and visual abnormalities.
NO is readily available and in particular accessible to young people (eg in corner shops). It is also easy to take not requiring smoking or injecting and hence can be taken quickly without any set up.
Recently AE depts have been seeing more people presenting with symptoms of SCD which takes Drs away from dealing with other pts. Once seen acutely they are then transferred to medical day unit, using more resources.
What is needed is a public health campaign highlighting the dangers of NO, but in the short term a ban may be helpful.