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HSE warns festival-goers about dangers of 'laughing gas'

HSE warns festival-goers about dangers of 'laughing gas'
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The HSE is warning people of the dangers of "laughing gas".

A growing trend is starting to emerge of young people inhaling the gas through a balloon.

The HSE says Irish tourists may have come in contact with nitrous oxide while in Europe or Asia.

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It is available in nightclubs in the Netherlands and is inhaled using a balloon.

Following a survey from the summer of last year, the HSE has found it is an emerging trend among young Irish festival-goers.

Cartridges of the gas can be bought online for €8 and some retailers sell them as a propellant for whipped cream dispensers.

However, people are being warned if they use them they could die from suffocation and that frequent use can lead to blood cell problems.

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The HSE says due to to their rise in popularity it will work to reduce the harms of the product in its festival campaign for 2020.

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