Amy Louise Leonard died in October 2025 after sustained recreational use of nitrous oxide as a coping mechanism for her anxiety – her family is now campaigning to raise awareness of the dangers of the drug
The family of a young woman have been left heartbroken by her death.
Amy Louise Leonard, from Bolton, is remembered as a “bright and bubbly” woman who was building a career as a talented makeup artist. In the weeks before her tragic death at the age of 20, she relied on nitrous oxide as a coping mechanism to help her “feel happier” during periods of anxiety and low moods, Bolton Coroners’ Court heard on Friday.
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is legally used in catering and healthcare, including during labour as a form of pain relief. However, the drug is also misused recreationally by inhaling the gas from balloons. Recreational use of nitrous oxide is classified as a Class C drug, the Manchester Evening News reports.
Amy first went to hospital on September 20, 2025, after experiencing 10 days of lower back pain, numbness and tingling in her legs, and bladder incontinence, the court was told.
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Prior to this, Amy had been using “one large canister of nitrous oxide every day for a period of time”, Detective Inspector Stuart Woodhead, from Greater Manchester Police, told the court.
Doctors initially suspected cauda equina – a medical emergency caused by severe compression of nerves at the bottom of the spinal cord – but later diagnosed Amy with subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord, a progressive neurological disorder caused by vitamin B12 deficiency.
In Amy’s case, her “heavy, sustained, excessive abuse of nitrous oxide” led to a functional deficiency of B12, the court heard.
In the days after her hospital admission, Amy’s condition worsened. Her mobility decreased until she collapsed 10 days later on September 30, suffering two sudden cardiac arrests. Although doctors restarted her heart both times, she sustained severe brain damage and later developed a pulmonary embolism after deep vein thrombosis (DVT). She sadly passed away on October 2.
Consultant neuropathologist Dr Neil Papworth told the court that fatalities from nitrous oxide are “rare and unfortunate”. He said: “Nitrous oxide abuse is thought to be quite widespread. Most people who use nitrous oxide recreationally do not suffer fatal consequences. This is a rare and unfortunate consequence.”
Dr Papworth explained that nitrous oxide is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, inactivating vitamin B12 and causing a functional deficiency, which in Amy’s case led to subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord.
Also giving evidence at the inquest was Kerry Taylor, a consultant forensic toxicologist, who said that nitrous oxide use has increased and there have been more deaths linked to the drug.
“I have seen an increase in deaths where nitrous oxide has been found at the scene,” Miss Taylor told the court. “We do struggle to look for it in the blood, but there has been an increase, even anecdotally, in incidents where nitrous oxide has been found at the scene.”
Concluding the hearing, Senior Coroner Timothy Brennand told the court that misusing nitrous oxide is “akin to playing a game of chemical Russian Roulette”.
“Drug misuse has killed and taken from a family a bright young woman,” he told the court. “She had so much to live for, she was at the heart of a functioning family.”
He ruled Amy’s death as misadventure, meaning it was an unintended consequence of her nitrous oxide use.
Amy’s family are desperate to raise awareness about the dangers of abusing nitrous oxide. Her brave mother, Katrina Proctor, recently appeared on Good Morning Britain to share her daughter’s story with the hope of preventing other families from experiencing a similar loss.
Amy is remembered by her family as a ‘bubbly and bright’ young woman who worked hard and was always the “life of the party”. Alongside her sister Caitlin, she was a finalist for the Young Business Woman of the Year award, with the final set to take place in three weeks.
The 20-year-old is also remembered for her work in mental health. She and her sister Caitlin created mental health journals called ‘Between the Lines’, designed to support others who might be struggling.
