Student who died after taking too much laughing gas had 200 canisters in his room, court hears

A student who died after he inhaled so much laughing gas he wasn’t even able to walk down the stairs was found to have been in possession of 200 canisters of 'hippie crack' in his room, a court has heard.

The inquest also heard how 22-year-old Aaron Dunford, a student at Brighton University, inhaled the nitrous oxide regularly which caused him to suffer from chronic nerve pain due to a B12 vitamin deficiency.

The detective who oversaw the investigation into the student’s death, Inspector Mick Jones, warned those who take the substance to “think again” and added: “The effect of asphyxia through inhalation could happen on the first occasion it is used or after repeated use.

“This tragic case has highlighted that, even when it does not result in a fatality, there are longer-term effects on your health.

“Despite the deceased being a young man, he was unable to walk down a simple flight of steps due to the chronic pain he had in his knees which was a direct result of using nitrous oxide gas.”

Mr Dunford was found dead at his home in Brighton’s historical Roundhill Crescent in March this year.

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His death was listed by the coroner as death by asphyxiation, caused by inhalation of nitrous oxide and chronic nerve pain.

According to the Global Drug Survey, nitrous oxide is the seventh most popular drug in the world.

As the Government clamps-down on legal highs, the founder of the Global Drug Survey, Dr Adam Winstock, said that banning laughing gas would be the wrong decision

He said: “The majority of people who use it don’t use it very often and only around three per cent of heavy users say they have experienced negative health effects.

“What would be better would be more education on the effects and dangers of the drug – not blunt regulation.”