Dr Kim Loo has welcomed the announcement of restrictions limiting access to “easily accessible” nitrous oxide. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Teens and children will be banned from buying nangs and their sales will be restricted during night hours as part of a NSW Government crackdown.
The NSW Government has announced a raft of changes to how retailers can sell and display bulbs containing nitrous oxide (colloquially known as nangs or whippets) from November 2026.
Nitrous oxide is a low-potency anaesthetic gas, usually sold in large high-pressure canisters or small steel cartridges.
While it has legitimate uses (such as in dentistry or producing whipped cream), it’s also used as a recreational drug.
For Royal Australian College of General Practitioners NSW and ACT deputy chair Kim Loo, the changes are the first step in tackling its use.
“I’m really glad that the government is starting to regulate this. … It is a start, and I’m happy about that,” Dr Loo said.
She said more than a dozen deaths linked to nitrous oxide use have occurred in Australia, while the substance can trigger a B12 deficiency, balance problems and other health concerns.
“It’s a colourless gas and people think of it as being harmless,” she said.
“It can give you hallucinations and it can lead to disinhibition of behaviour, which is why you get drownings, car crashes and other complications from chronic use.”
Nitrous oxide can currently be accessed in some shops or through online ordering.
But under the changes, same-day delivery and supply will be prohibited, while sales between 10 pm and 5 am will be restricted.
In retail settings, bulbs (containing between eight and 10 g of the gas) will be limited to a total of 250 g per day for each customer.
Canisters or cylinders containing more than 10 g of nitrous oxide will be banned from retail sale.
NSW isn’t the first to seek to limit their use. A 2025 study noted Western Australia and South Australia were among states that had implemented bans or restrictions.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park pointed to increases in the number of people abusing nangs as a trigger for the change.
He said the government’s reforms would protect people, especially younger Australians.
“Our response is simple: restrict the retail and supply volume; restrict the age of consumers; and restrict the availability of when and how it can be sold.
“No doubt, there are legitimate uses for nitrous oxide including in food, medicine and industry and we’ve struck the right balance between those purposes and health and safety, following comprehensive consultation.”
Teenagers and children will also be blocked from purchasing nitrous oxide under any circumstances.
Dr Loo said her emergency department colleagues were seeing more nang use and she and her fellow GPs were asking patients about their use.
“General practice is the coalface of everything that presents,” she said.
She said the coming months came with a chance for early interventions, including for parents to check in with their kids.
“Parents are so busy now,” she said.
“Sometimes parents don’t necessarily get exposed to the friends that their children have [or know] all the things that happen at parties.
“It’s really important to have a discussion with your teenage child – or younger child – about all the things you can inhale, that you can ingest that can cause harm.”
Exemptions will be in place for businesses and applications judged to be legitimate, as well as for therapeutic uses of nitrous oxide.
For information, support and advice on nitrous oxide misuse, contact the Alcohol and Drug Information Service (1800 250 015). The service is available 24/7. In an emergency, call Triple Zero.
Original Article published by Claire Sams on About Regional.
