Glastonbury clean-up teams have been tackling the aftermath of festival-goers’ revelries, with workers facing mountains of laughing gas canisters at the end of each day.
The remnants of the illegal party drug, commonly known as Nos, were found in sizable clusters near the Crow’s Nest area of the Glastonbury grounds on Thursday, June 26. Music fans have described its use as widespread, with users leaving small metal canisters all over the Worthy Farm site.
The substance, known for inducing a short-lived euphoria and dizziness, is strictly prohibited at Glastonbury due to its potentially dangerous side effects which, according to drug education charity Talk to FRANK, includes anxiety, paranoia, and even the risk of suffocation in severe cases. “It is very dangerous to inhale nitrous oxide directly from the canister, and doing it in an enclosed space is also very dangerous.”
They warn: “If you take too much nitrous oxide you risk falling unconscious and/or suffocating from the lack of oxygen. People have died this way.”
Last year’s alarming increase in nitrous oxide abuse prompted the NHS to issue a stark public health warning addressing the dangers. NHS consultant neurologist Dr Holger Allrogen expressed his concerns, stating: “We are increasingly worried about the risk of serious harm to the nervous system as a result of abusing nitrous oxide.
“It can affect both the spinal cord and the nerves in arms and legs resulting in loss of feeling, abnormal sensations, loss of motor function and therefore variable degrees of limb weakness right down to paralysis.”
As photos emerged of volunteers diligently sifting through abandoned canisters, reactions poured in, reports BristolLive. One disillusioned observer commented: “Putting the lameness aside, there are bins literally everywhere. Embarrassing.”
Festival attendees have reported witnessing the prevalent use of laughing gas. One camper shared: “We sat on the hill and counted the seconds between hearing a canister crack. The longest we went was 9 seconds [sic]”.
Another voiced their frustration: “I had to leave because the balloon sound was so annoying”.
An NHS worker highlighted the darker implications of nitrous oxide misuse: “I worked in a hospital that was ram raided for our entinox cylinders [sic]. The NHS picked up the bill and the patients were deprived of pain killing medication [sic].”
One festival-goer lamented the littering issue: “I haven’t seen a single person take their Nos canisters back with them yet just chucking them on the dancefloors.”
They added: “At least with other drugs they don’t become a massive trip hazard once finished on the dancefloor, I about rolled my ankle a few times at Glade yesterday on canisters.”
Some found a silver lining, noting that the canisters are now easier to spot, as users have moved onto much larger and more dangerous canisters: “At least these big ones that are common now are easier to see and pick up than those little little metal ones. Those were terrible.”
However, one individual defended the recreational use of the substance: “I presume you don’t hate everyone that drinks alcohol, just because drink drivers exist. Plenty of people in the world are doing NOS without raiding medical supplies or littering.”
