Recreational use of nitrous oxide

Last updated

Nitrous oxide (recreational use)
NOS Cracker With Balloon And Charger.jpg
Food grade N2O charger (bottom right), cracker (top right) and balloon
Clinical data
Other names
  • Laughing gas
  • Slang: Nos, nangs, hippy crack, whippets, whippits, cannies, dusters, galaxy gas
Routes of
administration 		Inhalation
Drug class NMDA receptor antagonist; Dissociative hallucinogen; Analgesic; General anesthetic
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
Metabolism Not metabolized
Metabolites None
Onset of action 15–30 seconds
Duration of action 0.5–1 minute
Excretion Exhaled
Chemical and physical data
Formula N2O
3D model (JSmol)
  • [N-]=[N+]=O

Nitrous oxide (N2O), commonly referred to as laughing gas, along with various street names, is an inert gas which can induce euphoria, dissociation, hallucinogenic states of mind, and relaxation when inhaled. [1] Nitrous oxide has no acute biochemical or cellular toxicity and is not metabolized in humans or other mammals. Rare deaths and injuries associated with use are due to asphyxia or accidents while under the influence, or vitamin B12 deficiency. Excessive use can lead to long-term and significant neurological and haematological toxicity. [2] [3]

Contents

First recorded in the 18th century at upper-class "laughing gas parties", the experience was largely limited to medical students until the late 20th century when laws limiting access to the gas were loosened to supply dentists and hospitals. By the 2010s, nitrous oxide had become more popular as a recreational drug in the Western world and other nations. [4]

Increasing recreational use has become a public health concern internationally due to the potential for long-term neurological damage following excessive use. [1] [2] Recreational users are often unaware of the risks associated with excessive use. [5] Owing to the chemical's numerous legitimate uses, the sale and possession of nitrous oxide is legal in many countries, although some have criminalised supplying it for recreational purposes.

Effects

When used recreationally, nitrous oxide can induce euphoria, relaxation and a hallucinogenic state. [1] Long-term or habitual use can lead to severe neurological damage. [3]

Nitrous oxide is said to enhance the effects of psychedelics. [6]

Since nitrous oxide can cause dizziness, dissociation, and temporary loss of motor control, it is unsafe to inhale while standing up. Safer use can involve inhalation while seated to decrease risks of injury by falling. Inhalation directly from a tank poses serious health risks, as it can cause frostbite since the gas is very cold when released. For those reasons, most recreational users will discharge the gas into a balloon or whipped cream dispenser before inhaling. [7]

Adverse effects

It is not known if nitrous oxide causes drug dependency but its use can be habit-forming. [1] Death can result if it is inhaled in such a way that not enough oxygen is breathed in. While the pure gas is not acutely toxic, it inactivates vitamin B12, [8] with continued use causing neurological damage due to peripheral and central demyelination. [3] Symptoms are similar to B12 deficiency: anemia due to reduced hemopoiesis, neuropathy, tinnitus, and numbness in extremities. As such, a two week course of vitamin B12 injection (not oral supplementation) is recommended as a first-line treatment, combined with abstinence; [3] oral supplementation may be phased-in later. [9] Pregnant women should not use nitrous oxide recreationally, because chronic use is also teratogenic and foetotoxic.[ medical citation needed ]

Inhaling industrial-grade nitrous oxide is also dangerous, as it contains many impurities and is not intended for use on humans. Food grade nitrous oxide is also not meant to be inhaled; the bulbs commonly have industrial lubricants from their manufacturing process on and in them. When the bulb is punctured, these solvents can aerosolize, introducing unknown particles into the gas. These lubricants commonly leave an oily residue on the bulb "cracker" or inside the whipped cream dispenser. [10]

In 2022, an addicted couple in Portland, Oregon became temporarily unable to walk due to spinal nerve damage due to Vitamin B12 inactivation caused by chronic recreational use of nitrous oxide and still had difficulties walking a year later. [11]

From 1993 to 2016, only 30 death certificates in England and Wales mentioned nitrous oxide. Of those, 6 were in the 17-year period from 1993 through 2009, and 24 were in the 7-year period from 2010 through 2016. [12]

In 2018, an Ohio University freshman died of asphyxiation as a result of nitrous oxide ingestion from whipped-cream chargers, allegedly as part of a hazing ritual. [13]

In 2020, a fifteen-year-old Irish boy died after ingesting nitrous oxide, [14] leading to Ireland's Health Service Executive classing it as a dangerous drug. [15]

Society and culture

Discovery and early use

Aquatint depiction of a laughing gas party in the 19th century Doctor and Mrs Syntax, with a party of friends, experimentin Wellcome L0022227.jpg
Aquatint depiction of a laughing gas party in the 19th century

Inhalation of nitrous oxide for recreational use, with the purpose of causing euphoria or slight hallucinations, began as a phenomenon for the British upper class in 1799, known as "laughing gas parties". [16] English chemist Humphry Davy offered the gas to party guests in a silken bag, and documented its effects in his 1800 book Researches, Chemical and Philosophical which investigated "nitrous oxide, or diphlogisticated nitrous air, and its respiration". [17] Poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge described the effect as "like returning from a walk in the snow into a warm room". [16]

During the 19th century, William James and many contemporaries found that inhalation of nitrous oxide resulted in a powerful spiritual and mystical experience for the user. [18] James claimed to experience the fusing of dichotomies into unity and a revelation of ultimate truth during the inhalation of nitrous oxide. The memory of this experience, however, quickly faded and any attempt to communicate was difficult at best. James described a man who, when under the influence of the gas, claimed to know the secret of the universe. [19]

1840 illustration of a man inhaling nitrous oxide, and another experiencing its effects A man breathing in nitrous oxide (cropped).jpg
1840 illustration of a man inhaling nitrous oxide, and another experiencing its effects

Until at least 1863, low availability of equipment to produce the gas, combined with low usage of the gas for medical purposes, meant it was a relatively rare phenomenon that mainly happened among students at medical universities. When equipment became more widely available for dentistry and hospitals, most countries also restricted the legal access to buy pure nitrous oxide gas cylinders to those sectors. Even so, its use in parties continued, with gas provided by medical professionals or restaurant workers, [20] [21] and by other legal or illegal sources.

20th century

3 liter can of recreational nitrous oxide to fill up balloons Recreational N2O 3L-1.jpg
3 liter can of recreational nitrous oxide to fill up balloons

A report from Consumers Union report from 1972 (based upon reports of its use in Maryland 1971, Vancouver 1972, and a survey made by Edward J. Lynn of its non-medical use in Michigan 1970) found that use of the gas for recreational purposes was then prevalent in the US and Canada. [20] [21]

It was not uncommon [in the interviews] to hear from individuals who had been to parties where a professional (doctor, nurse, scientist, inhalation therapist, researcher) had provided nitrous oxide. There also were those who work in restaurants who used the N
2O stored in tanks for the preparation of whip cream. Reports were received from people who used the gas contained in aerosol cans both of food and non-food products. At a recent rock festival, nitrous oxide was widely sold for 25 cents a balloon. Contact was made with a "mystical-religious" group that used the gas to accelerate arriving at their transcendental-meditative state of choice. Although a few, more sophisticated users employed nitrous oxide-oxygen mixes with elaborate equipment, most users used balloons or plastic bags. They either held a breath of N
2O or rebreathed the gas. There were no adverse effects reported in the more than one hundred individuals surveyed. [21]

21st century

Discarded whipped cream chargers in a London car park, 2017 Mosa cream chargers fly-tipped at Bakers Hill car park 04.jpg
Discarded whipped cream chargers in a London car park, 2017

As of 2022, the gas enjoys moderate popularity in some countries as a recreational drug. [22] Nitrous oxide has the street names hippy crack and whippets (or whippits). [1] In Australia and New Zealand, nitrous oxide bulbs are known as nangs, possibly derived from the sound distortion perceived by consumers. [23] [24]

In Thailand, the use of laughing gas balloons containing N2O gas first emerged around 2013, starting with low-priced offerings along Bangkok's Khao San Road. [25] These balloons soon became available in bars and nightclubs, spreading throughout Thailand and into other Southeast Asian countries. It is expected that this trend will also gain traction in Laos, especially with the influx of Thai tourists.

In Vietnam, the use of laughing gas as a recreational substance began in the 2000s due to its affordability. The balloons used for inhaling the gas are called funky balls [26] and are widely available in bars, pubs, and online for home delivery. This trend is most noticeable in urban areas and social gatherings frequented by young adults.

In China, recreational nitrous oxide use is on the rise and has become a social issue. [27] [28]

In the United Kingdom, as of 2014, nitrous oxide is estimated to be used by almost half a million young people at nightspots, festivals and parties. Officials in Norfolk, Hertfordshire and Thames Valley had reported increasing numbers of discarded whipped-cream chargers being found. [29]

Recreational users generally use 8 gram (¼ oz) containers of nitrous oxide "whippets", which they use to fill balloons or whipped cream dispensers. The gas is then inhaled from the balloon or dispenser. [30] This is necessary because nitrous oxide is very cold when it undergoes adiabatic decompression on exit from a canister; inhalation directly from a tank is dangerous and can cause frostbite of the larynx and bronchi. [31] Recently, as of 2022 and later, large canisters of nitrous oxide containing 600 grams or more of net content have appeared in vape shops and other retailers. Health professionals have expressed concern as the large size may make it easier for neurotoxic effects and dependency to develop in users. [32] [33] Additionally, in 2024, flavored nitrous oxide canisters produced by Galaxy Gas and other brands have become popular, and also criticized for seemingly being marketed towards children. [34] The term "Galaxy Gas" is being used as a generic term for whippets.

Australia

Supply of nitrous oxide for recreational purposes is illegal; however, it is permissible to supply it for cooking and baking purposes. As a deleterious substance, the supply of the substance for the purposes of inhalation can result in two years imprisonment. [35]

The canisters are commonly referred to in Australia as nangs. [36]

Germany

In Germany, using nitrous oxide for recreation is legal and subject to virtually no regulations regarding sale and possession; however, Germany's Federal Minister of Health, Karl Lauterbach, is planning to make the sale of nitrous oxide to minors illegal. [37]

Netherlands

Sign stating "forbidden to use nitrous oxide" in the Poelestraat in Groningen which is also known as the main nightlife area with bars, pubs, and clubs. Since 1 January 2021 the use of nitrous oxide in the area has been prohibited. Ban of Nitrous oxide use.jpg
Sign stating "forbidden to use nitrous oxide" in the Poelestraat in Groningen which is also known as the main nightlife area with bars, pubs, and clubs. Since 1 January 2021 the use of nitrous oxide in the area has been prohibited.

Since 1 January 2023, the possession, importing, and sale of nitrous oxide are banned in the Netherlands, with exceptions for medical use and the food industry. [38] It is illegal under the Opium Act. [39]

Sweden

Using nitrous oxide for recreational use is called "boffning" as slang. It is not illegal, and whipped cream chargers with nitrous oxide can be purchased as kitchen supply. [40] [41] Most retailers have a voluntary age restriction of 18 years for purchase. At festivals or bigger events, sales have been stopped, referring to "environmental hazardous chemical handling". [42]

Thailand

In 2021, Thailand banned recreational nitrous oxide balloons after discovering they could deprive users of oxygen, posing serious health risks. The Thai Food and Drug Administration warned against their use and distribution, with penalties for violators. Despite the ban, there have been reports of the product resurfacing in areas like Khao San Road in 2024, catering especially to foreign visitors.

In Thailand, nitrous oxide is not considered an illegal drug as it is used legally for anesthesia. However, people need permission from health authorities to use or sell them, ensuring they are used safely and legally. [43]

United Kingdom

Supply of nitrous oxide for recreational purposes is illegal under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016. This means anyone found to be selling or giving away nitrous oxide for illicit purposes could face up to 7 years in prison and/or an unlimited fine. [44] On 3 March 2023, it was announced that nitrous oxide will be prohibited under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. [45]

On 5 September 2023, it was announced by the British government that nitrous oxide will be categorised as a class C drug by the end of 2023, in an effort to crack down on anti-social behaviour. [46]

Slang terms used for the canisters in the United Kingdom include balloons, nos, whippits, laughing gas, hippie crack, chargers and noz. [47]

United States

Under United States federal law, possession of nitrous oxide is legal and is not subject to DEA purview. It is, however, regulated by the Food and Drug Administration under the Food Drug and Cosmetics Act. Prosecution is possible under its "misbranding" clauses, prohibiting the sale or distribution of nitrous oxide for the purpose of human consumption (the recreational drug use market). Given the necessity of proving the intent of either buyer or seller in this case, though, such prosecutions are rare.

Many states have laws regulating the possession, sale, and distribution of nitrous oxide; but these are normally limited to either banning distribution to minors, or setting an upper limit on the amount of nitrous oxide that may be sold without a special license, rather than banning possession or distribution completely. In most jurisdictions, as at the federal level, sale or distribution for the purpose of human consumption is illegal. In California, for instance, inhalation of nitrous oxide "for the purpose of causing euphoria, or for the purpose of changing in any manner one’s mental processes" is an offense under its criminal code (Cal. Pen. Code, Sec. 381b). In most jurisdictions, small N2O cartridges, used to make whipped cream, can be legally purchased by anyone. In some jurisdictions, sales of canned whipped cream using nitrous oxide are limited to adults. [48]

In all US jurisdictions, however, distribution, possession, and inhalation are legal when done under the supervision and direction of a licensed medical professional such as a physician or dentist.

Vietnam

Vietnam has not officially banned the use of N2O gas, but the government is considering stricter measures to control its recreational use. [49]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inhalant</span> Chemical, often household, breathed in to cause intoxication

Inhalants are a broad range of household and industrial chemicals whose volatile vapors or pressurized gases can be concentrated and breathed in via the nose or mouth to produce intoxication, in a manner not intended by the manufacturer. They are inhaled at room temperature through volatilization or from a pressurized container, and do not include drugs that are sniffed after burning or heating.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recreational drug use</span> Use of drugs with the primary intention to alter the state of consciousness

Recreational drug use is the use of one or more psychoactive drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness, either for pleasure or for some other casual purpose or pastime. When a psychoactive drug enters the user's body, it induces an intoxicating effect. Recreational drugs are commonly divided into three categories: depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitrous oxide</span> Colourless non-flammable greenhouse gas

Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, nitrous, or factitious air, among others, is a chemical compound, an oxide of nitrogen with the formula N
2O. At room temperature, it is a colourless non-flammable gas, and has a slightly sweet scent and taste. At elevated temperatures, nitrous oxide is a powerful oxidiser similar to molecular oxygen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Club drug</span> Category of recreational drugs

Club drugs, also called rave drugs or party drugs, are a loosely defined category of recreational drugs which are associated with discothèques in the 1970s and nightclubs, dance clubs, electronic dance music (EDM) parties, and raves in the 1980s to today. Unlike many other categories, such as opiates and benzodiazepines, which are established according to pharmaceutical or chemical properties, club drugs are a "category of convenience", in which drugs are included due to the locations they are consumed and/or where the user goes while under the influence of the drugs. Club drugs are generally used by adolescents and young adults.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitrous acid</span> Chemical compound

Nitrous acid is a weak and monoprotic acid known only in solution, in the gas phase, and in the form of nitrite salts. It was discovered by Carl Wilhelm Scheele, who called it "phlogisticated acid of niter". Nitrous acid is used to make diazonium salts from amines. The resulting diazonium salts are reagents in azo coupling reactions to give azo dyes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Head shop</span> Retail outlet for cannabis and tobacco products

A head shop is a retail outlet specializing in paraphernalia used for consumption of cannabis and tobacco and items related to cannabis culture and related countercultures. They emerged from the hippie counterculture in the late 1960s, and at that time, many of them had close ties to the anti-Vietnam War movement as well as groups in the marijuana legalization movement like LeMar, Amorphia, and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whipped-cream charger</span> Steel cylinder filled with nitrous oxide

A whipped cream charger (colloquially called a whippet, nos or nang when used recreationally) is a steel cylinder or cartridge filled with nitrous oxide (N2O) that is used as a whipping agent in whipped cream. The narrow end of a charger has a foil covering that is broken to release the gas. This is usually done by a sharp pin inside the whipping siphon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inhalation</span> Flow of the respiratory current into an organism

Inhalation happens when air or other gases enter the lungs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitrous oxide engine</span> Automotive supplement

A nitrous oxide engine, or nitrous oxide system (NOS) is an internal combustion engine in which oxygen for burning the fuel comes from the decomposition of nitrous oxide, N2O, as well as air. The system increases the engine's power output by allowing fuel to be burned at a higher-than-normal rate, because of the higher partial pressure of oxygen injected with the fuel mixture. Nitrous injection systems may be "dry", where the nitrous oxide is injected separately from fuel, or "wet" in which additional fuel is carried into the engine along with the nitrous. NOS may not be permitted for street or highway use, depending on local regulations. N2O use is permitted in certain classes of auto racing. Reliable operation of an engine with nitrous injection requires careful attention to the strength of engine components and to the accuracy of the mixing systems, otherwise destructive detonations or exceeding engineered component maximums may occur. Nitrous oxide systems were applied as early as World War II for certain aircraft engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitrous oxide (medication)</span> Gas used as anesthetic and for pain relief

Nitrous oxide, as medical gas supply, is an inhaled gas used as pain medication, and is typically administered with 50% oxygen mix. It is often used together with other medications for anesthesia. Common uses include during childbirth, following trauma, and as part of end-of-life care. Onset of effect is typically within half a minute, and the effect lasts for about a minute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Industrial gas</span> Gaseous materials produced for use in industry

Industrial gases are the gaseous materials that are manufactured for use in industry. The principal gases provided are nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, argon, hydrogen, helium and acetylene, although many other gases and mixtures are also available in gas cylinders. The industry producing these gases is also known as industrial gas, which is seen as also encompassing the supply of equipment and technology to produce and use the gases. Their production is a part of the wider chemical Industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Packaging gas</span>

A packaging gas is used to pack sensitive materials such as food into a modified atmosphere environment. The gas used is usually inert, or of a nature that protects the integrity of the packaged goods, inhibiting unwanted chemical reactions such as food spoilage or oxidation. Some may also serve as a propellant for aerosol sprays like cans of whipped cream. For packaging food, the use of various gases is approved by regulatory organisations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foam (cooking)</span> Foodstuff whipped with air

In cuisine, foam is a gelled or stabilized liquid in which air is suspended. Foams have been present in many forms over the history of cooking, such as whipped cream, meringue and mousse. In these cases, the incorporation of air, or another gas, creates a lighter texture and a different mouthfeel. Foams add flavor without significant substance, and thus allow cooks to integrate new flavors without changing the physical composition of a dish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitrous-oxide reductase</span> Class of enzymes

In enzymology, a nitrous oxide reductase also known as nitrogen:acceptor oxidoreductase (N2O-forming) is an enzyme that catalyzes the final step in bacterial denitrification, the reduction of nitrous oxide to dinitrogen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyanocobalamin</span> Form of vitamin B-12

Cyanocobalamin is a form of vitamin B
12 used to treat and prevent vitamin B
12 deficiency except in the presence of cyanide toxicity. The deficiency may occur in pernicious anemia, following surgical removal of the stomach, with fish tapeworm, or due to bowel cancer. It is used by mouth, by injection into a muscle, or as a nasal spray.

The Fink effect, also known as "diffusion anoxia", "diffusion hypoxia", or the "second gas effect", is a factor that influences the pO2 (partial pressure of oxygen) within the pulmonary alveoli. When water-soluble gases such as anesthetic agent N2O (nitrous oxide) are breathed in large quantities they can be dissolved in body fluids rapidly. This leads to a temporary increase in both the concentrations and partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the alveoli.

Nang or nangs may refer to:

<i>N2O</i> (video game) 1998 video game

N2O, subtitled as Nitrous Oxide in North America, is a 1998 tube shooter for the PlayStation, featuring a soundtrack composed by the American electronic music duo The Crystal Method. The soundtrack was heavily used to promote the game, and the music is stored in Red Book format meaning the game disc can be played as a music CD on an ordinary CD player.

Galaxy Gas is an American culinary brand which produces flavored whipped-cream chargers and dispensers containing nitrous oxide. Founded in 2021, Galaxy Gas is based in Atlanta, Georgia. Despite their dispensers being advertised for culinary use such as whipping ingredients, Galaxy Gas gained notoriety through social media in 2024 due to their products being misused as a recreational nitrous oxide inhalant to get high, with the inhalation of their canisters gaining popularity as a TikTok trend; the platform has since blocked "Galaxy Gas" as a search result. The brand's name has additionally been used colloquially to refer to nitrous oxide inhalants generally.

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  43. ↑ "อย. เตือนสูดดมลูกโป่งก๊าซหัวเราะ อันตรายถึงเสียชีวิต ผู้ขายมีความผิด" [FDA warns that inhaling laughing gas balloons can be deadly.]. Food and Drug Administration (in Thai). 15 December 2023. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  44. ↑ "The Law: Psychoactive Substances". Talk to Frank. 14 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  45. ↑ Baynes M, Rogers A. "Nitrous oxide to be banned under plans to clamp down on anti-social behaviour". Sky News. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  46. ↑ "Nitrous oxide to be categorised as class C drug". Sky News. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  47. ↑ "Nitrous Oxide – A colourless gas that people inhale, usually via a balloon". Talk to Frank. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  48. ↑ Li DK (29 August 2022). "Want to buy canned whipped cream in New York state? Don't forget your ID". NBC News .
  49. ↑ "Are funky balls banned in Vietnam? Is it illegal and sanctioned to use funky balls in Vietnam? How will illegal production of funky balls supplied to the market be sanctioned in Vietnam?". LawNet. 7 October 2022. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
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