Nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide (N2O), commonly referred to as laughing gas, is an inorganic volatile gas known for its euphoric effects. Originally synthesized in the late 18th century, it gained popularity in the 19th century as a dental anesthetic. Today, nitrous oxide is legally used in medical and dental settings to assist with minor procedures and as an adjunct to other anesthetics. However, it is also used recreationally, particularly by young people, due to its availability in products like whipped cream aerosols and whippits, which can be easily purchased online or in specialty stores.
While clinical use of nitrous oxide generally poses few risks, recreational inhalation can lead to serious health consequences, including hypoxia, which deprives the brain and body of oxygen, and potential loss of consciousness. Long-term abuse may result in nerve damage and coordination issues. Furthermore, combining nitrous oxide with substances like alcohol can increase the risk of severe toxicity. Research indicates that a notable percentage of young adults have experimented with nitrous oxide, and its use is reportedly rising, particularly at underground events. The dual nature of nitrous oxide—therapeutic and recreational—highlights the importance of understanding its effects and risks.
Subject Terms
Nitrous oxide
ALSO KNOWN AS: Buzz bomb; laughing gas
DEFINITION: Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an inorganic volatile gas that produces chemical vapors.
STATUS: Legal
CLASSIFICATION: Noncontrolled substance
SOURCE: Obtained illicitly from medical and dental practices or, more often, from household or commercial products
TRANSMISSION ROUTE: Inhalation
History of Use
Nitrous oxide was first synthesized in the late eighteenth century. By the mid-nineteenth century, dentists were using it for pain relief and as an anesthetic. Because of the euphoria it induces, it came to be known as laughing gas. In the twenty-first century, it is used in medical and dental settings for minor procedures that do not require loss of consciousness and to augment other anesthetics and sedatives.
Along with other inhalants, nitrous oxide is used as a recreational drug to induce a psychoactive (mind-altering) effect. Most first-time and frequent users are minors. The most common sources of nitrous oxide are whipped-cream aerosols, for which nitrous oxide is the propellant, and whippits, which are small and tapered cylinders containing nitrous oxide that are used to pressurize reusable, commercial, or home-use whipped-cream dispensers. These can be purchased on the Internet or at a head shop, a place where people purchase paraphernalia commonly related to marijuana.
Effects and Potential Risks
In clinical settings, nitrous oxide has few adverse effects. Recreational use can have serious consequences, however. Abusers inhale nitrous oxide to obtain a rapid high similar to that obtained when using alcohol. The initial euphoria, lightheadedness, and disinhibition are soon followed by agitation, then drowsiness.
Abusers must inhale frequently to maintain a high. With intense, repeated inhaling, the nitrous oxide replaces oxygen in the lungs. The result is hypoxia, which deprives the whole body, including the brain, of its needed supply of oxygen. An abuser can lose consciousness, stop breathing, and even die. Abusers may inhale the nitrous oxide through a plastic or paper bag or other such device, which can lead to suffocation. Nitrous oxide can damage the outer layer and deeper tissue of the nose, mouth, windpipe, and lungs.
Long-term use of nitrous oxide can break down myelin, a fatty tissue that surrounds and protects some nerve fibers. Loss of myelin can result in muscle spasms, tremors, and permanent problems with coordination, walking, and talking. Inhaling nitrous oxide while under the influence of alcohol or ketamine can cause brain toxicity and death. According to a 2022 study in the journal Toxics, between 2 and 15.8 percent of young adults and adolescents have abused nitrous oxide at least once in their lifetimes. In 2024, the Yale University School of Medicine reported the recreational use of nitrous oxide by adolescents and young adults continued to rise exponentially due to the fact the drug is both legal and easy to obtain. Nitrous oxide is commonly used at underground events, such as raves and popular music festivals.
Bibliography
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Gardin, Tova. "Nitrous Oxide Effects Are Reversible With Early Treatment." Yale School of Medicine, 8 Jan. 2024, medicine.yale.edu/news-article/nitrous-oxide-effects-are-reversible-with-early-treatment. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.
Kuhn, Cynthia, Scott Swartwelder, and Wilkie Wilson. Buzzed: The Straight Facts about the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy. 3rd ed., New York: W. W. Norton, 2008.
Lin, Jhe-Ping, Shi-Ying Gao, and Chih-Chuan Lin. "The Clinical Presentations of Nitrous Oxide Users in an Emergency Department." Toxics, vol. 10, no. 3, 26 Feb. 2022, p. 112, doi: 10.3390/toxics10030112. Accessed 30 Nov. 2022.
National Survey on Drug Use and Health. "Trends in Adolescent Inhalant Use: 2002 to 2007." NSDUH Report, 16 Mar. 2009, pp. 136–38.
Savelli, Lou. Street Drugs: Pocketguide. Flushing, NY: Looseleaf Law, 2008.
Wolfson, Sam. "Is the Growth in Nitrous Oxide Misuse a Laughing Matter?" The Guardian, 13 Aug. 2014, www.theguardian.com/society/2014/aug/13/brick-lane-is-the-uks-laughing-gas-megastore-but-for-how-long. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.