My laughing gas addiction was worse than cocaine – could feel brain cells dying, says Trisha Goddard’s daughter

Her mother may be one of the most famous women on television, but while Trisha Goddard spoke about national affairs, her daughter was battling her own demons.

32-year-old Billy Dee from East London has struggled with various addictions since he was 22.

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At 11, she started drinking alcohol “By the time I was 22, I was addicted. cocaine and MDMA‘, she told Sun Health.

“My mother was away at work. She knew I had a problem and that alcohol was a problem for me, but she didn’t know the extent of my drug use.” has been hidden.

“I spent a lot of money on drugs that I decided to try. nitrous oxide.

“It was a lot cheaper, so it seemed like an affordable height. I also knew it was used medically, so I thought it would be a safer height as well.” .”

Also called laughing gas, balloons, hippie crack, and nos, the colorless gas is usually inhaled using balloons and sold in small silver canisters.

Popular among young people, this drug provides short-term euphoria but can debilitate people. nerve damage and can even be fatal.

Billy said: After doing it over the weekend when I was home alone, I could literally feel my brain cells dying on Monday when I went to work.

“I couldn’t think straight and had trouble finding words.”

Nitrous oxide, which is legal to possess in the UK, is used in dentistry, as an analgesic during labour, and in whipped cream catering, but is illegal to sell as a drug.

Now, due to growing concerns over health risks, the Netherlands has announced that it will ban the distribution, sale and possession of nitrous oxide from January 2023.

Maarten van Oojen, Minister of Health of the Netherlands, said:

“Additionally, the safety of non-users is also at stake.

“We have seen enough news about tragic accidents caused by road users using laughing gas.”

dangerous drug

UK government pharmaceutical advisers are currently considering whether to change the legislation on nitrous oxide.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), between 2001 and 2020, 103 nitrogen-related deaths were recorded in the UK, with helium and nitrogen-related deaths increasing over the past two decades. increase.

Dr. David Nichol, a consulting neurologist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, witnessed a spike in cases in his clinic.

he said:

“Now we usually see one or two cases every week. Patients – mostly young men – complain of tingling in their limbs and difficulty walking.

“One of the first questions I ask is if they have friends with similar symptoms. When they say yes, I think they always do, but I don’t know if they use nitrous oxide. I know most of what you are doing.

“I asked a patient that question last week and he said that seven of his friends had been hospitalized. hospital Exactly the same symptoms. ”

Dr. Nicholl has documented several cases of young people who suffered irreversible nerve damage after using drugs at festivals and parties.

“Nitrous oxide inhibits the absorption of vitamin B12, which is essential for nerve function.

“If you take too much, the effects are irreversible.

“Last week I saw a patient who could never walk properly again and needed crutches all the time because of this gas that children and young people consider harmless.

“All I can say right now is that it’s not harmless.”

The oversized large canisters of nitrous oxide used for catering like the Smartwhip and Goldwhip seem to boost hospitalization. pandemic.

The correlation between the two has yet to be investigated, but Billy says boredom plays a role.

“When I started trying alcohol, I was bored and depressed, but that’s where it started.

“During lockdown, kids can be locked in their rooms and not have to go to school the next day and have these canisters delivered to their door.

“As a recovering addict, I feel like the pandemic was the perfect storm.”

For Billie, recovery began in 2018 with intervention from an ex-boyfriend who discovered hundreds of canisters she had used, and the support of her family.

In all honesty, nitrous oxide is more addictive than any other class A drug.

Billy Dee

“Relationship with my mother (Trisha Goddard) was almost non-existent until then.

“She knew I had a problem, but I would never have told her about my addiction, and we talked very little.

“After several years of treatment and subsequent recovery, I felt I could be honest with her.

“She was able to understand what I was going through and our relationship improved dramatically.”

Billy adds:

“I can honestly say that nitrous oxide was far more addictive than any other Class A drug for me, being addicted to MDMA and cocaine.”

Four years clean, Billy says he’s on the mend, but his relationship with her mother is back on track.

Luckily, Billy hasn’t endured the long-term effects of her abuse, but Dr. Nicole says more needs to be done to keep the nitrous oxide canister out of control. said. children and youth.

he said:

“Discarded canisters have a QR code that when scanned takes you to a website offering discounts.”

He adds:

“When I commute by bicycle, canisters are scattered everywhere.

“Plus, I feel like we’re just looking at the tip of the iceberg. I’ve spoken to colleagues across the country and they’ve all seen more cases being presented.

“It’s only a matter of time before the death toll rises.”

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