Mum shares harrowing photo of her son in hospital after teen, 17, inhaled laughing gas
A MUM has shared a harrowing photo of her teen son in hospital after he inhaled laughing gas.
Cathy Mccann, 46, chose to speak out after it was announced nitrous oxide is now illegal – with repeat offenders facing two years behind bars.
The mum says she fears the punishment won’t stop youngsters, and they could end up in hospital like her son Alex Littler – or worse.
It was last year when Alex, now 17, was raced to hospital after inhaling laughing gas – also known as hippy crack – at Manchester‘s Parklife music festival.
The teen started complaining about a swollen neck and said he was struggling to breathe.
He also said his chest felt like “popping bubble wrap”.
Cathy snapped photos of Alex laying on a hospital bed hooked up to multiple machines.
Other snaps show the youngster with an oxygen mask on.
And when Alex admitted he’d been ‘doing balloons’ – which is one of the ways youngsters inhale the gas – doctors were able to work out what was wrong.
The teen was then told he had a ruptured and leaking lung.
Mum Cathy has now called for stricter consequences for people who do laughing gas.
She says while Alex has been scared off it, some of his pals still use it – despite watching what he went through.
The 46-year-old said: “I think nitrous oxide should have been made a class B drug or higher because what is making it a class C drug going to do.
“It’s not going to stop kids from doing it. They will be getting a slap on the wrist if they are found with it and that’s it.
“I think it [nitrous oxide] will still go on. There will be no less canisters around our area than there were last week.”
The mum-of-two said: “My son has not touched laughing gas since his accident.
It upsets me thinking about it, it’s horrible. It could have been fatal. It could have killed him.
Cathy Mccann
“At first, after the accident, some of his friends didn’t but they are still using it now.
“It scared them at first but now some of them still do it.
“Alex said it’s the worst thing he could have done. He didn’t realise himself what the dangers were and he did it because all his mates were doing it.”
Cathy said she burst into tears when Alex first admitted what he’d done.
She said: “I couldn’t believe it, he said he hadn’t had anything.
“It upsets me thinking about it, it’s horrible. It could have been fatal. It could have killed him.”
It was yesterday announced nitrous oxide was now illegal and those caught with nitrous oxide with the intent of getting high will be prosecuted as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.
And those who peddle the drug – nicknamed “hippy crack” – could face up to 14 years in prison.
The Government’s new ban, under their anti-social behaviour action plan, makes it a Class C drug.
This means possession with the intention to inhale it for a psychoactive effect is now an offence.
Users could also face unlimited fines and community sentences as well as time in prison.