Wednesday, 9 September 2026

 Nathan LAMBERT (Preston) (19:15): (1836) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, and the action I seek is for the minister to prohibit registered tobacco retailers from selling nitrous oxide products, known as nangs. Members in this place will be aware that nitrous oxide is a medical analgesic, a legitimate one, but it is used recreationally and it is used recreationally a lot in Preston and Reservoir, and the public health evidence shows that there are significant risks attached with that use. To be clear, it is not by any means the most dangerous recreational drug. But the coroner reported in 2025 on the tragic death of a 26-year-old man identified in the coroner’s report as RBJ, who died in Elsternwick in 2023 from nitrous oxide suffocation. I might just quote from the coroner’s report:

RBJ is remembered as a beautiful, caring and loving young man …

…

RBJ loved computers and was great at building and programming them.

As someone who shares those or certainly shared those enthusiasms, I think of RBJ and the tragic case of his death and the effect it of course would have had on his family and loved ones.

I note the coroner’s reporting of the risks of nitrous oxide in that case and the identification of 11 other cases this century where nitrous oxide has been associated with someone’s passing. Eight of them have occurred in the last five years. In addition, I note the coroner’s recommendation that our government look into stronger regulations of nitrous oxide, such as those found in South Australia or those that are due to commence in New South Wales as a result of some changes introduced by the Minns government in November of this year.

For a long time the challenge with regulating the retail sales of nitrous oxide has been that of course there are legitimate uses of it associated with food preparation, but we all know that the common model that we see is sold in convenience stores alongside legal tobacco, sometimes illegal tobacco, confectionery, energy drinks and sometimes vapes. We all know that model, and I think we do have an opportunity to disrupt that particular model and at least curtail some of the sales of nangs in those convenience stores through our important tobacco licensing reforms. We now have an enforcement regime. We have an inspection regime. We are building that out, and we thus have the opportunity to make it a condition of holding those tobacco licences that people do not sell nitrous oxide products. We will do that primarily, I think, because of the important health reasons that I have set out and the tragic case that I touched upon, but also for environmental and amenity reasons. The nitrous oxide canisters are hard to dispose of as well. But as I say, primarily for health reasons, I put forward this particular suggestion to the minister, and I thank him and his department for their consideration.