5 Dangers of Recreational Use of Nitrous Oxide are listed and explained in this article. We hope you find the article informative and helpful.
Dangers of Recreational Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous Oxide commonly known as “laughing gas” and scientifically called N2O is used in some clinics to induce a safe delivery process, especially in the case of childbirth, surgical operation, or dentistry all the while, Nitrous Oxide has been generally appreciated by every specialist who makes use of it because of its potency.
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Lately, the use of “laughing gas” in recreational activities has rapidly grown especially in dance and art festivals.
In the United Kingdom for instance, apart from Cannabis is the most used recreational drug, Nitrous Oxide is ranked as the second most popularly used Recreational drug.
Due to its use, N2O is a legal drug in most countries thus, it is readily available and less expensive to afford.
The gas is simply used by inhalation, sometimes from an airtight bag, canister, or balloon which has been inflated with it and the gas becomes active in ten seconds or less than that.
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The effect of the gas is that it gives a euphoric, joyful, pleasant, or sometimes hallucinogenic effect, and these effects last only a couple of minutes in the lungs of the person who used it.
The normal dosage of the gas intake is usually measured at about 40 to 80 percent and it is considered moderate when the user takes lesser than 10 balloons filled with the gas and approximately, 10 episodes yearly.
Although gas has some advantages for its users, perpetual use of gas brings about some dangers of its own which are a bit detrimental to the overall health of the user.
In this article, we will take a closer look at some of the dangers that come along with the Recreational use of Nitrous Oxide.
The complications derived from the use of the gas are usually because the user used it for a very long time or used it in a short term without adequate Vitamin B12 present in the body system.
It is very common that effects such as neuropathy or myelopathy are often reported when a user has used it uncontrolled for a long time during or before recreation which can be termed as the abuse of Nitrous Oxide and in recent times, this is very common in younger people.
Dangers of Recreational Use of Nitrous Oxide
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Dangers of Recreational Use of Nitrous Oxide are as follows:
1. Weakness
The N2O is quite a gas of deception as it gives a momentary feeling of excitement but in the long run, it causes the weakening of the bones and especially the legs.
A dancer who is under the influence of the negative effects of the gas usually stumbles or staggers while trying to carry out some stunts.
2. Deficiency of Vitamins
Research has shown that one of the major causes of the deficiency in Vitamins especially Vitamin B12 is the use of Nitrous Oxide.
Subsequently, the deficiency of Vitamin B12 often leads to the risk of having a disease that affects the peripheral nervous system of which its effect is worse than the momentary joy that the gas provides when used excessively.
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3. Impaired Memory
A situation where a person takes in excessive N20 into his lungs often leads to the partial loss of memory as the gas instigates things that are out of the normal, thereby making it impossible for such a person to easily recall relevant details or sometimes, the gas causes a total blackout in the memory of the person depending on how long the person has been using it and the level of harm that has been done to the memory by the gas.
4. Accidents
As a result of the excessive use of gas, users are prone to accidents such as tripping and falling. This is a result of the dangerous effect of the gas.
These accidents happen often but are not easily noticed by the cheering audience because sometimes, the user seems to jerk back to normalcy in a flash and adds it as a part of his ‘stunt’
5. Delirium Tremens
As a result of the temporal hallucinating effect of the gas upon the user, there is a perpetually sensory perception of something that does not exist in reality.
The user keeps living in an abject illusion and often mistakes reality for mere illusion. When this condition is not properly managed in the long run, it could lead to a more terrible condition such as insanity.
The temporal pleasure and feeling derived from the use of the N2O should not be compared in any way with its adverse effects upon the users of the gas.
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The cheering audience may be thrilled by the exciting performance and emotion of the user of the Nitrous Oxide, but the aftermath is left to the user of the gas to bear.
Health workers should stand to their feet and educate the users of this gas on the harmful effect so that even when it is used, it should be done moderately.
