Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, has seen a surge in recreational use, especially since the pandemic. Experts warn of serious health risks, including neurological damage and even death. An eye-opening story highlights the tragic consequences of addiction. Marketing strategies targeting youth are also contributing to this unsettling trend. Meanwhile, varying regulations around the globe reflect growing concerns over safety and misuse. The evolution of this substance invites a complex conversation about culture, health, and policy.
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insights INSIGHT
How Laughing Gas Works
Nitrous oxide creates a short high by depriving the brain of oxygen temporarily.
This results in euphoria and laughter but lasts only a few minutes.
insights INSIGHT
Risks of Nitrous Oxide Abuse
Prolonged nitrous oxide use can cause nerve damage and spinal degradation.
Severe oxygen deprivation may lead to paralysis or death in extreme cases.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Tragic Story of Meg Coldwell
Meg Coldwell's nitrous oxide use worsened over years causing paralysis and hospitalization.
She died at 29 after reportedly overdosing on laughing gas bought at a vape shop.
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Nitrous oxide or laughing gas as been used as a recreational and medical drug since the late 1700s. Dentists often use it as an anaesthetic. It’s been linked to hippie, festival and rave culture for decades. And in the last few years, American rappers like Kanye West, Young Thug and Gunna have been open about using it.
You might have seen the little metal cannisters, that people use to dispense the drug, littering the streets. But now, manufacturers of nitrous oxide are producing bigger cannisters with different flavours and bright packaging and in the US, they are being stocked in smoke and vape shops.
Experts say this is contributing to a rise in the drug’s misuse. Using nitrous oxide can have harmful effects. Inhalation of nitrous oxide can lead to hypoxia, where the brain does not get enough oxygen. This can result in death. Regular inhalation can also lead to a Vitamin B12 deficiency which can cause nerve damage, degradation of the spinal column and even paralysis. The number of deaths attributed to nitrous oxide poisonings rose by more than 110% between 2019 and 2023, according to the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
In this episode BBC journalist Eve Webster explains how the use of nitrous oxide has changed recently, especially in the US. We hear about the risks of using it and where bans are in place. Ezra Marcus, an American investigative journalist, tells us how nitrous has become so popular in the US since the pandemic - and its links to American rappers. And BBC journalist Chigozie Ohaka sets out the current situation with nitrous oxide in Nigeria, where authorities tried to clamp down on it in 2023.
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