Overview
- Research led by consultant neuroradiologist Seamus Looby, published in the American Journal of Neuroradiology, documents 14 cases at Beaumont Hospital from 2021 to 2024 after none from 2012 to 2020.
- Patients had a median age of 20, and most improved with treatment, though none achieved full recovery.
- The team attributes the injury to disruption of vitamin B12 metabolism causing subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord, with numbness and balance problems among early symptoms.
- Youth workers report increasing recreational use via balloons, and Looby urges greater public awareness and education about permanent risks.
- Nitrous oxide remains legally sold for catering and industrial uses in Ireland, while the UK outlawed possession for getting high in November 2023.