If you’ve ever wondered what the metal canisters are that float around local car parks and gutters, here’s your answer: Nangs.

The term is a street name for nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas,
whippet, nitro, or Nos.

Nitrous oxide has been used in medicine for more than 170 years, however, alongside that, recreational use has become widespread. Discarded cartridges are found in gutters and carparks, revealing a worrying trend as Northland youngsters in increasing numbers inhale the gas.

The contents of these chargers are released into a balloon, where the gas is then “huffed” in order to experience a temporary high that can include feelings of euphoria, distortion of sound and mild hallucinations.

A Whangārei man, who did not want to be named, recounted his experience with nitrous oxide to the Advocate and said, “It was definitely up there with one of the scariest moments of my life”.

The teen had huffed nitrous after a day of drinking, and said he instantly ‘dropped’ to the ground.

“My vision went white,” he said, “and then I blacked out. I was out of breath and felt like I couldn’t open my lungs.”

He said he could hear people talking around him, but it was sped up “by 1000.”

“I was trying to say help me, help, but to them I was making no sense, I was just grunting.”

When he finally came to, he stood up and fell straight back down again.

Mixing substances is common alongside the usage of nangs, most commonly alcohol.

The Advocate spoke with the director of the National Poisons Centre and Clinical Toxicologist, Adam Pomerleau, about the issue.

He explained the recreational use of nitrous oxide is associated with two effects: acute, and chronic.

“The acute effects can be harmful,” he said, “it’s related to hypoxia or lower oxygen and it displaces gas, so if you do that too heavily, or too big of an inhale, you might drop your blood oxygen and that’s when you can pass out.”

Pomerleau said chronic effects included developing problems with the spinal cord that leads to difficulty walking.

“The most debilitating thing that’s long term is people develop an abnormal gait, they can’t walk properly.”

Other long-term effects include anaemia and vitamin B-12 deficiency. While these can sometimes be fixable, the neurological effects from regular and extensive use are usually irreversible.

“With any poison, the bigger the dose, the more the potential risk,” said Pomerleau. “The longer and heavier the use, the risk of those long-term effects goes up, but there’s no clear thresholds to show when you cross that line.”

Other symptoms from prolonged exposure, according to the New Zealand Government’s ‘High Alert’ website can include:

• Limb spasms
• Incontinence
• Numbness in the hands and feet
• Potential birth defects if consumed during pregnancy
• Psychosis
• Depression
• Disruption to reproductive systems
• Ringing or buzzing in the ears

The 2022 Global Drug Survey which stated that nitrous oxide is the seventh most popular recreational drug worldwide, ranking the fourth most commonly used within nightclubs.

Nitrous oxide use was found to be the most popular common among 16- to 24-year-olds.

A key finding was that most drug use fell with the onset of Covid-19, except for nitrous oxide and magic mushrooms.

This could be explained through the ease of which nitrous can be obtained.

While banned for recreational use and selling under the 1981 Medicines Act in Aotearoa, it is legal to sell canisters of nitrous oxide for food preparation purposes, but a quick Google search, no age barriers, and just a few clicks of a button can see the cream chargers sent straight to your door.

Alana, who last purchased the canisters in 2018, said she was even able to purchase them from a local hardware store without ID.

“I was 17 around the time,” she said, “I wasn’t asked for ID or anything. And you can buy both the cracker (which cracks open the canisters) and the little canisters online super easy, even to this day.”

Multiple sources have told the Advocate that dairies across Whangārei allow youths to
purchase canisters without asking for ID.

The sale of canisters for inhalation is illegal and can result in prosecution for illegally selling a prescription medicine. This can result in imprisonment of up to six months, or a fine of up to $40,000.

Tukaha Murray of Rangatahi Patrols believes the use of nitrous oxide among youth is common in Whangārei.

“We do pass that on our patrols, and it’s mainly just youth,” he said. Murray estimates the age bracket he’s seen consuming nitrous is between 13- to 16-year-olds.

According to Murray, the youth huff the substance in their cars, before dumping the canisters in nearby drains.

When asked how common this is to witness, Murray stated “the last two months have been quite heavy.”

He also reflected that a lot of youths get aggressive when he approaches them.

“Their behaviours are animalistic; they go absolute s**t case,” he stated. “I’ve tried to approach them but we can’t even get within talking space, they just start throwing the nangs out, or they just take off.”

City Safe also said its Night Community Officers witness nitrous oxide use.

According to one officer, the most he’s seen in a single carpark is between 30 and 50 canisters.

A council spokesperson on Friday said: “Our CitySafe staff are regularly coming across the use of NOS by people preloading in the carparks on Friday and Saturday nights, but, it has not been considered to be directly linked to causing antisocial behaviours, as compared with excess alcohol consumption that seems to be the leading cause for fights and disorder.”

In the High Court at Whangārei this week a man was found guilty of murdering another man in a violent street fight in the city on June, last year. The man admitted at the start of his trial that he had been drinking heavily and huffing nitrous oxide in the lead up to the fatal brawl.

The usage of nitrous oxide in Whangārei seems to be the most common at night, however there is no statistical evidence to suggest the use of nitrous oxide is connected to an increase in youth crime.

The Youth Advisory Group recently released its 2022 report, which said in Whangārei, 22 per cent of survey respondents do not feel safe, with 41 per cent saying they do.

Fifty-three per cent of respondents stated that Whangārei could be made safer with more police presence and enforcement, including more security and coverage area.

A large percentage of respondents – 82 per cent – support the development of youth inclusive spaces, which Rangatahi Patrols’ Tukaha Murray agrees with.

“I just think if the council could make more places for the youth that would be great,” he said, “But because people haven’t said anything to council, we don’t have those facilities.”

Te Whatu Ora told the Advocate that since January 1 this year only two patients have presented to a Northland ED with a nitrous oxide-related presentation.

•If you’re concerned about your own usage of nitrous, you can reach out to the 24/7 Alcohol Drug Helpline on 0800 787 797 or text 8681, where you can receive support.