September 4th 2024.
Connor Wilton was discovered lying on the ground by his father, Jamie, in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, in November 2022. This was not the first time that the 27-year-old had collapsed due to his excessive use of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas. In fact, Connor had been inhaling up to 480 balloons of the gas every weekend since he was 18 years old. However, this time, the consequences were much more severe.
Connor's habit of abusing laughing gas had finally caught up with him, leaving him permanently disabled and reliant on a wheelchair and crutches for mobility. Doctors explained that the drug had deprived his body of oxygen and vitamin B12, which is critical for nerve and blood cell health. As a result, Connor was left with limited muscle control, causing his hands to bend in a way that he described as "dinosaur hands."
His addiction to laughing gas had started innocently enough on a holiday with friends when he was 18. "I was abusing it for years, not badly though," Connor recalls. "I did it socially on weekends and when I went on trips, like to Kavos." However, as time went on, his usage increased, and by October 2022, he was inhaling the gas every weekend. Soon, he began to experience sickness and tingling in his feet, but he didn't realize the cause was his drug use.
Then one day, Connor's father found him collapsed on the floor, and he couldn't feel his legs or urinate properly. "My nerves and muscles had failed on my bottom half," he explained. This was just the beginning of a long and painful journey for Connor. He spent three months in the hospital and four months in a neuro-rehabilitation unit, unable to control his muscles and reliant on a catheter and a nappy for his bowel movements.
As a former mental health worker, Connor never imagined that his drug use would lead to such severe consequences. "It was absolutely horrible," he recalls. "I couldn't control my muscles, and my hands were starting to bend like little dinosaur hands." Despite his physical and emotional turmoil, Connor remained determined to recover. With the help of two workers, he was able to stand up for the first time since his collapse, just a week before Christmas.
Unfortunately, the damage to his body was irreversible. Connor now requires regular vitamin B12 injections and still experiences muscle spasms and seizures in his legs. "The amount of nerves I've damaged, some are too far gone and will never repair," he says. "I will never be able to stand up straight, and I have 35-degree drop feet." He also struggles with bowel control and fears not being able to control himself in public.
Connor's story serves as a warning to young people about the dangers of abusing laughing gas. He now shares his experience and daily struggles on Facebook to educate others about the consequences of casual drug use. "Stay off balloons, kids," he writes in one post. "Never thought this could or would happen. It ruined my life." Thankfully, the UK has since banned the sale of nitrous oxide tanks and cylinders, with dealers facing up to 14 years in jail.
However, it is still important to spread awareness about the dangers of this seemingly harmless party drug. Laughing gas may have been the fourth most used drug in the UK in 2015, but its long-term effects can be devastating. For Connor, it has left him permanently disabled and reliant on aids for daily tasks. He hopes that by sharing his story, he can prevent others from experiencing the same fate.
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