Of the exposures reported since 2019, 70% of patients were aged 20-54, 23% were 13-19, and 7% were 2-12. Some people reported losing the ability to walk, psychosis, numbness and slurred speech, and some reported inhaling hundreds of nangs – up to 10 litres of nitrous oxide – in a single day. Bottles containing nitrous oxide up to 3.3 litres in size are available for sale, the equivalent of 300 small canisters. Depleting the vitamin could cause people to stagger, lose sensation in their hands and feet and lose control of their bladders. She said the sale of nangs could also be contributing to retail crime.

Source: New Zealand Herald April 09, 2026 23:04 UTC