Amy Louise Leonard, known as Amy Lou, was a bright and bubbly young woman building a career as a makeup artist. According to Bolton Coroners Court, in the weeks prior to her death, Amy relied on nitrous oxide as a coping mechanism to help her feel happier when she struggled with anxiety and low moods. Detective Inspector Stuart Woodhead from Greater Manchester Police stated that prior to this, Amy had been using one large canister of nitrous oxide every day for a period of time.
Amy first went to hospital on September 20, 2025, after suffering from lower back pain for ten days, as well as experiencing numbness and tingling in her lower body and bladder incontinence. After initially suspecting cauda equina, doctors diagnosed Amy with a spinal disease known as sub acute combined degeneration of the spinal cord. Bolton Coroners Court explained that this progressive neurological disorder is caused by a deficiency in vitamin B12, and in Amy's case, her heavy, sustained, excessive abuse of nitrous oxide caused a functional deficiency of B12.
In the days after her hospital admission, Amy's condition worsened and she collapsed on September 30, suffering two sudden cardiac arrests. Doctors managed to restart her heart both times, but her brain sustained significant damage and she passed away on October 2. Consultant neuropathologist Dr Neil Papworth noted that fatalities such as this from nitrous oxide are rare and unfortunate, and that nitrous oxide abuse is thought to be quite widespread, with most people who use it recreationally not suffering fatal consequences.
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, can be used recreationally by inhaling the gas from balloons, is used lawfully in catering and healthcare, and is a class C drug when taken recreationally.