Premier League player enters rehab for nitrous oxide addiction, marking a football first

The player's identity has not been revealed. He was admitted to a specialised centre after his worried family approached his club for support. The police once stopped a car he was travelling in and discovered dozens of canisters in the footwell.

A few weeks before Christmas, this incident did not lead to any police action due to insufficient evidence on who owned the canisters.

The player's family learned about his problem and sought assistance from the club. The player was informed that if he wished to salvage his career, he would need to enter a specialised residential centre for treatment. Essentially, he's undergoing a detox process similar to those addicted to alcohol or other drugs - explain reporters from "The Sun".

This player is the first Premier League footballer to undergo treatment for a nitrous oxide addiction. He certainly won't be the last given its prevalent use among other players.

Nitrous oxide, colloquially known as "hippy crack, " is available in canisters, often large ones used for inflating balloons, which can be inhaled multiple times.

Laughing gas poses a high risk of heart attacks, strokes, and brain damage and can even be fatal. Prolonged use can lead to depression, memory loss, incontinence, hallucinations, and nerve damage.

It's crucial to note that the law was altered last year, classifying laughing gas as a Class C controlled substance. Now, having it with the intention to inhale it is illegal.

No footballer would think of keeping a stash of marijuana in their home, but many have a supply of balloons filled with the gas for their personal use and for friends - "The Sun" points out.

The newspaper reminds us that in 2022, 16-year-old Kayleigh Burns from Liverpool passed away after inhaling gas at a party in Leamington Spa. Before collapsing, she complained of feeling "too hot".