The Government’s decision to slow walk a Sinn Féin proposal to restrict the sale of Nitrous Oxide has left it looking complacent about a serious and growing problem. Sinn Féin’s bill would require sellers of the gas to be licensed and allows purchases only by an approved list of buyers. Last year European regulators classified Nitrous Oxide as harmful to reproductive health and likely to cause damage to the nervous system. It will doubtlessly encounter the same problems they have identified in Sinn Féin’s bill namely that it would impose a “considerable regulatory and financial burden on reputable sellers, as well as significant cost to the Exchequer”. Regardless of how the Government proceeds on regulation, a concerted effort to explain the dangers of Nitrous Oxide to teenagers is necessary.

Source: The Irish Times January 26, 2026 09:31 UTC