A sedative long used by physicians and dentists, nitrous oxide - popularly known as "laughing gas," is being increasingly consumed as a party drug. Among its common effects are a feeling of relaxation, euphoria, lightheadedness and occasionally mild hallucinations.
Recreational users typically inhale the odourless, colourless gas from party balloons filled by freely sold nitrous oxide cartridges. It acts almost immediately, the effects lasting from several seconds to three minutes, says Andrea Piest, a specialist for Berlin's emergency drug and alcohol addiction service.
Laughing gas can be dangerous though, she warns. Consumed regularly, it can result in a vitamin B12 deficiency and even kidney damage. And not taking breaks for normal breathing during consumption can cause an oxygen deficiency in the brain and other organs.
So Piest advises users to periodically remove the balloon from their mouth, and to consume the gas while sitting or lying down to prevent possible injury in case of any coordination or circulatory problems.
"Taking sufficient breaks reduces the risk of bodily harm," she says, adding that numbness in your hands and/or feet can be an indication of nerve damage or low oxygen levels in body tissues.
If this occurs, you should get medical advice right away, she says, and be sure to inform medical personnel that you've consumed laughing gas, thereby enabling them to counteract the side effects quickly.
It's also important not to use balloons containing talcum powder, as the minerals found in it aren't meant to be inhaled. You should absolutely avoid inhaling the gas directly from the dispensers or with the help of a mask, the emergency service says, and by no means drive while under its influence.
To minimize the risks, you shouldn't consume laughing gas in combination with other drugs since they - particularly "downer drugs" such as GHB ("liquid ecstasy"), alcohol and opioids - reinforce each other, according to Piest. Otherwise you may end up fainting or vomiting, she warns.
Laughing gas is often used together with marijuana to extend the rush of euphoria it induces and intensify the marijuana high. Piest says this can be dangerous, expecially at high doses, because both substances lower blood pressure and increase the risk of losing consciousness.
