A “BUBBLY” young woman died after effectively playing “Russian Roulette” with laughing gas, a coroner has warned.
Amy Louise Leonard, 20, from Bolton, had been building a promising career as a makeup artist and was remembered by loved ones as the “life of the party”.
But an inquest heard the young woman began relying on nitrous oxide to help her “feel happier” while struggling with anxiety and low moods.
The hearing at Bolton Coroners Court was told Amy had been using one large canister of the gas every day for a period of time.
Nitrous oxide can be inhaled from balloons as a recreational drug, although it is legally used in catering and in healthcare settings, including during labour as pain relief.
When used recreationally it is classified as a Class C drug.
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The inquest heard Amy first went to hospital on September 20 last year after suffering lower back pain for ten days.
She was also struggling with numbness and tingling in her lower body and bladder incontinence.
Doctors initially suspected cauda equina — a medical emergency caused by severe compression of nerves at the bottom of the spinal cord.
But Amy was later diagnosed with sub acute combined degeneration of the spinal cord, a progressive neurological disorder linked to vitamin B12 deficiency.
Experts told the inquest that her “heavy, sustained, excessive abuse of nitrous oxide” had caused a functional B12 deficiency.
In the days after being admitted to hospital, Amy’s condition deteriorated.
Her mobility worsened before she collapsed ten days later on September 30 and suffered two cardiac arrests.
Doctors managed to restart her heart both times, but she suffered significant brain damage and died on October 2.
Consultant neuropathologist Dr Neil Papworth told the court deaths linked to nitrous oxide are “rare and unfortunate”.
He said: “Nitrous oxide abuse is thought to be quite widespread.
“Most people who use it recreationally do not suffer fatal consequences.
“This is a rare and unfortunate consequence.”
Concluding the hearing, senior coroner Timothy Brennand described misusing the gas as “akin to playing a game of chemical Russian Roulette”.
Amy’s death was ruled as misadventure, meaning it was an unintended consequence of using the drug.
Her devastated family are now determined to raise awareness about the dangers of nitrous oxide misuse.
Her mum, Catrina Proctor, has even spoken about the tragedy on Good Morning Britain in the hope of preventing other families from suffering the same heartbreak.
Amy is remembered by her family as being a “bubbly and bright” young woman, who worked hard and was always the “life of the party”.
Catrina paid poignant tribute to her daughter, who she beamed would “always brought happiness” to those around her.
She said: “She was absolutely amazing at makeup, she loved it.
“She was bubbly, she enjoyed music and was such an outgoing and bubbly person.
“She would make you feel welcome, she was that type of person.
“Her favourite time of the year is Halloween and Christmas, and would absolutely love being out in the sun.
“It just doesn’t feel real and we’ve had so many people reaching out, we’ve had a lot of support. We are trying our best.
“We don’t want sympathy; we want change. These canisters need to be removed from the streets, or there must be stricter laws and enforcement to stop them being so easily accessible.
“What’s currently in place simply isn’t enough.”
Amy, along with her sister Caitlin, have been nominated for the Young Business Woman of the Year award, and made it through to the final, which is set to take place in three weeks.
Nitrous oxide – the facts
NITROUS oxide – also known as “laughing gas” or “hippy crack” – was recently made a Class C due to the dangers associated with the drug.
It can cause a range of health issues and in some cases can even be fatal.
Some common side effects from inhaling the gas are dizziness, nausea, disorientation, loss of balance and weakness in legs, according to a study on its risks published to the National Library of Medicine.
Nitrous oxide can impair memory and thinking, the research mentioned. Some users might also feel anxious or paranoid.
According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF), the gas from nitrous oxide bulbs is intensely cold, sometimes as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius.
Inhaling directly from the canister or crackers – handheld devices used to ‘crack’ open canister – can cause frostbite on the nose, lips and throat, even the vocal cords.
The icy chill of the gas canisters can also cause cold burns to the hands.
Long term, heavy use of laughing gas can cause a lack of vitamin B12. Severe deficiency can lead to serious nerve damage, causing tingling and numbness in the fingers and toes.
Lack of B12 can also cause damage to the spinal cord.
In some cases, frequent and prolonged use of nitrous oxide has been linked to thromboembolic events – this means a blood clot has gotten stuck and caused an obstruction.
The so-called laughing gas has also resulted in deaths.
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