The serious harms of recreational nitrous oxide

Nitrous oxide—often known as laughing fuel or nangs—is reasonable, extensively out there and standard amongst younger individuals.

But it usually flies beneath the radar in public well being packages and training settings. For instance, it is not included within the drug training curriculum in Australian faculties.

In our new research, we spoke to younger individuals (aged 18 to 25) who’ve used nitrous oxide. We discovered they have been unaware of its dangers—even after they reported signs equivalent to “mind fog” and seizures.

What’s nitrous oxide?

Nitrous oxide is recurrently used for sedation and ache aid in dentistry and childbirth.

The fuel, which has no colour or taste, can be used recreationally and is named nangs, nos, whippits and balloons.

The truth is, nitrous oxide has been used to get intoxicated since its creation in 1722, and wasn’t utilized in surgical procedure till 1842. It will probably create a sense of dissociation from the physique, adjustments in notion and euphoria. This lasts about one minute.

In Australia, nitrous oxide is reasonable and accessible. It’s because the fuel can be utilized in baking, for instance to whip cream.

So, whereas it is not authorized to promote nitrous oxide for leisure use, the canisters or “bulbs” are extensively out there on-line through 24-hour supply providers.

Individuals often discharge the fuel right into a balloon or a whipped cream dispenser after which inhale. Nitrous oxide is extremely chilly—minus 40 levels Celsius.

How widespread is it?

We nonetheless haven’t got a lot knowledge about who makes use of nitrous oxide and the way usually. In comparison with different medicine, there may be minimal analysis on its leisure use.

Nevertheless researchers consider it’s changing into extra widespread globally, particularly amongst younger individuals.

For instance, in 2022, nitrous oxide was the second-most used managed substance amongst 16–24-year-olds in the UK after hashish.

In January 2023, the Netherlands banned the sale and possession of nitrous oxide after 1,800 highway accidents, together with 63 deadly crashes, have been linked to the drug in a three-year interval.

The International Drug Survey reported a doubling in nitrous oxide use between 2015 and 2021, from 10% of respondents to twenty%. However this voluntary survey isn’t consultant of all individuals who use medicine. Whereas it is a sign of individuals’s nitrous oxide use, the image stays patchy.

What are the well being dangers?

Nitrous oxide isn’t probably the most dangerous drug individuals can use, however that does not make it protected.

Inhaling nitrous oxide has short-term well being dangers, together with:

chilly burns from the fuel
accidents from falling over
nausea and dizziness.

Utilizing plenty of nitrous oxide at one time can lead to passing out (from lack of oxygen) and seizures. Calling an ambulance is critical if this occurs.

Longer-term well being issues might embody:

vitamin B12 loss (inflicting numbness of arms and toes and finally paralysis)
urinary incontinence
strokes
reminiscence loss
psychological well being situations, together with melancholy and psychosis.

The provision of a lot bigger canisters (together with flavored varieties) can be linked to a rise in important harms. These can ship roughly 70 instances the quantity of nitrous oxide as conventional small canisters.

Bigger bulbs enable individuals to eat extra of the fuel at one time and so they usually expertise well being issues extra rapidly because of this.

Nevertheless, there may be nonetheless restricted data about nitrous oxide within the well being system. This implies its well being dangers are sometimes compounded as a result of it’s ignored by these assessing medical situations and since individuals deny utilizing it.

Our analysis

Through the first stage of our 2025 Australian research, we interviewed seven younger individuals (aged 18 to 25) who had used nitrous oxide not less than ten instances.

Whereas the variety of interviewees was small, the tales they advised have been very related.

They have been both unaware of, or unconcerned about, the drug’s potential dangers. That is regardless of their very own experiences of psychological and bodily issues.

They reported changing into unconscious, getting burns from the fuel on their arms and faces, sores across the mouth and even having seizures.

Of explicit concern to us was use earlier than driving as a result of individuals didn’t acknowledge the lingering results of the fuel on focus.

Our research individuals additionally spoke about “reminiscence zaps” or “mind fog.” Common use of nitrous oxide affected individuals’s potential to take part in work and research, with some saying it was additionally unhealthy for his or her psychological well being.

These considering issues are a regarding aspect impact. But it is one which has not been adequately investigated.

The function of social media

Movies of younger individuals utilizing nitrous oxide can simply be discovered on social media. This not solely factors to its reputation however suggests social media might be place to achieve younger individuals with details about the drug and hurt discount.

Within the second stage of our analysis, we labored with 30 younger individuals who used nitrous oxide to co-create harm-reduction assets.

As a gaggle, we developed movies, pictures and textual content for our nitrous oxide-specific social media accounts on Tik Tok and Instagram and for posts on varied subreddits.

These describe methods to make use of the drug extra safely. For instance, the “take a breath” messaging suggests respiration the nitrous oxide in for less than ten seconds at a time to make sure sufficient oxygen. “Sit” advises sitting down whereas utilizing nangs, to keep away from accidents from falling.

This text is republished from The Dialog beneath a Inventive Commons license. Learn the unique article.