A HEARTBROKEN mum is issuing a warning about the dangers of “hippy crack” after her daughter tragically died from inhaling it.
Ashley Weir began using , also known as laughing gas, in 2020 after being introduced to it while working at a restaurant.
Her mum, Carissa Garabedian, explained how the 30-year-old started using – traditionally sold to make whipped cream – before progressing to larger tanks.
The 58-year-old said Ashley would often buy multiple canisters a day and, despite numerous attempts to get clean, struggled to overcome her .
“She did a number of stints in rehab, each time vowing she’d quit for good,”; the mum from Virgina, US, recalled.
In 2021, after spending a month in a treatment facility, Ashley managed to for two years.
However, in August 2023, she relapsed.
Tragically, Ashley passed away on November 29, 2024, after being found dead in her bed at her home in Pompano Beach, Florida.
“She was found unresponsive in her bed with nitrous oxide tanks around her,”; said Carissa.
“All we know at the moment is that it was an accidental overdose caused by nitrous oxide but we're still waiting for the full autopsy report,” she added.
In the US, nitrous oxide is not classified as a controlled substance, and while possession is legal under federal law, selling or distributing it for human consumption is illegal.
In the UK, nitrous oxide has under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
That isthe same classification as anabolic and some .
This makes possession and selling it for a criminal offence.
Those caught with nitrous oxide for unlawful use face a caution, community service or an unlimited fine.
Repeat offenders could serve up to two years in prison.
The maximum sentence for production or supply of the drug for unlawful purposes is 14 years.
Carissa said: “I never thought I was going to lose her to this.
“I’m continuing to struggle every day with the finality of it all.
“She was full of life and love and was an amazing individual with a heart of gold.
“I feel like I'm expected to live every day with part of me that's completely broken.”;
The mum believes the availability of nitrous oxide contributed to Ashley’s struggles: “I think she always wanted to stop and she just couldn’t.
There’s nothing safe about nitrous oxide – in any form or any amount
Carissa Garabedian
“She was in therapy and had a sponsor, but the laughing gas was so readily available with no limitations.
“She could buy it online or at the gas station, and no one would know she was taking it.”;
Carissa continued: “I think that in her mental state, she had the inability to understand the consequences and the damage that was being done.
“The legality of it all made it a very confusing thing. Why would it be sold everywhere if it was that dangerous?”;
Now, Carissa is determined to warn others about the dangers of using nitrous oxide recreationally.
“I believe that many don't realise the impact nitrous oxide has on your body—the deprivation of oxygen and the damage it does to organs.
“It’s a very debilitating and obviously deadly substance that is not being recognised by so many and is continuing to be sold.”;
She is particularly concerned about the widespread sale of nitrous oxide at vape shops.
More should be done to keep this off the shelves for public sale
Carissa Garabedian
“Do vape shops really need to be selling these tank-sized cans of nitrous oxide?
“No one is walking into a vape shop to buy it for whipped cream or for dentists or doctors. It’s very misleading.”;
Carissa firmly believes that if nitrous oxide were less accessible, Ashley’s struggle might have been different.
“I 100 per cent believe that if it wasn’t so readily available, it would have been more challenging for Ashley to stop taking it,” she said.
“There’s nothing safe about nitrous oxide – in any form or any amount,”; Carissa concluded.
“More should be done to keep this off the shelves for public sale. There’s no reason the average person needs to be able to buy this.”;
