Inhaling Laughing Gas Isn’t All Fun and Games

Laughing gas, whose recreational use is on the rise, is no laughing matter. Inhaling the colorless, odorless gas typically used as a light anesthetic in dental procedures has potential dangers that range from irreversible neurological harm, psychiatric symptoms, and personality changes to damage to the mouth, nose, lungs, and the central nervous system — and death. Healthcare providers have long needed to focus attention on this global problem, and finally, a group of Canadian physicians has sounded the alarm on the increasing non-medical use of laughing gas (nitrous oxide), its astonishing easy accessibility, and the dangers of use in a <a href="https://www.cmaj.ca/content/195/32/E1075" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">study</a> published this month. In Australia, the nang (slang name for the laughing gas cartridge) is nearly a rite of passage for college-age students, as well as high school graduates. Next to MDMA, nangs are regularly cited as the drug of choice for Schoolies Week (the seven days following high school senior exams), and dorm floors are often littered with empty containers. Late-night nang delivery services such as <a href="https://www.nangwizard.net/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Nang Wizard</a> offer 24/7 around-the-clock delivery in major cities, at least in Australia. Similar story in England: “There is no doubt that we have seen an increase of cases, as this was almost unknown last year, and now we see cases weekly,” said Dr Nikos Evangelou, an academic neurologist at the University of Nottingham, England, in a 2022 article for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/aug/30/doctors-warn-of-rise-in-nerve-damage-linked-to-nitrous-oxide." rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. <a href="https://medium.com/wise-well/inhaling-laughing-gas-isnt-all-fun-and-games-12f8b87d84be">Learn More</a>