A ‘hippy crack’ warning has been issued to holidaymakers after a string of deaths and falls at Spanish resorts.
Revellers have been urged to steer clear of nitrous oxide – known as laughing gas – after following two tragedies and several serious injuries.
On Tuesday, a 26-year-old Swedish man was found dead in a pool in Marbella after allegedly inhaling the drug during a stag party.
A 23-year-old man’s body was also discovered at his home in the same Costa del Sol resort in May, surrounded by hundreds of empty canisters.
The laughing gas trend has also seen several young people plunge from a height into swimming pools in what is known as “balconing”.
The 31-year-old Brit smashed his head when he missed the water in Alcantara and hit the ground after bingeing on the drug and alcohol.
Last month, a teenage Brit jumped out of a moving car and threw herself off a bridge on the Costa del Sol after binging on hippy crack and alcohol, it has emerged.
Spanish police revealed a young girl had been taken to hospital with serious injuries after consuming nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas.
Separately, a teenage British girl, 16, broke both her legs after leaping from a bridge following a night out with friends in Puerto Banus near Marbella a day before the incident involving the older man in neighbouring San Pedro de Alcantara.
Nitrous oxide is a colourless, odourless gas used in surgery and dentistry for its anaesthetic and pain reducing effects.
Legally it can be used in small quantities as an anaesthetic for operations by dentists.
However, inhaling the gas has become fashionable among young people at parties as it is relatively cheap – with each canister often costing as little as 50p.
On average around five people a year are said to have died in the UK in recent years after inhaling the gas. Death can result if it is inhaled in such a way that not enough oxygen is breathed in.
While the pure gas is not toxic, long-term use has been associated with vitamin B12 deficiency and its symptoms including tinnitus and numbness in extremities.
Nitrous oxide slows down peoples’ brain and responses. Auditory and visual hallucinations have also been reported by users.
