In recent years, we know there has been a spike in teenage drug use. What leaves many baffled is the choice of drugs young people are experimenting with. In the U.S., we hear about teens using drugs such as fentanyl, promethazine, molly and marijuana, but in the U.K. the use of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is becoming popular once again.
Nitrous oxide was legal for a long time, but after the introduction of the Psychoactive Substances Act in May 2016, supplying/importing nitrous oxide for human consumption became illegal.
Although the Psychoactive Substances Act was introduced in 2016, it has not prevented people in the U.K. from getting their hands on this product. Nitrous oxide canisters are reportedly being found all over Rubery in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire. West Merica Police are aware of the problem and have reminded shopkeepers not to sell substances such as nitrous oxide to minors.
Nitrous oxide is most popular with people between the ages of 16 and 24. In a 2016 survey, the drug was more popular in the U.K. than in any other of the 19 countries surveyed. More than half of those who responded to the survey this year (51.3 percent) said they had used it before, and 38 percent had used it in the past 12 months. Studies also showed that laughing gas was mainly used at house parties and festivals.
People consume the drug by inhaling the gas through a balloon or a canister of some kind, like a whipped cream dispenser for example. With such an abundance of people using, officials are warning people of the health risks associated with this drug.
When used chronically, this drug can cause vitamin B-12 deficiencies and neurological issues, such as tingling in the fingers, toes and extremities that can last for hours or days. More severe cases can lead to numbness and difficulty walking, and the risks are heightened in people who are already lacking vitamin B-12. Inhaling nitrogen gas from the canisters might introduce small metal particles into your lungs. It can freeze your mouth and airways, leaving severe freezing wounds on your lips, in your mouth and on your vocal cords. Recreational use of laughing gas can cause sudden death or unconsciousness from lack of oxygen to the brain.
Tony Mercer, the West Midlands Health & Wellbeing program manager for Public Health, said, “There are more serious risks associated with nitrous oxide, which can be especially dangerous when mixed with alcohol”
This statement is troubling because people are reported to use this drug mostly at parties and other events where alcohol is present.
The Psychoactive Substances Act of 2016 was a right step in getting this drug out of the hands of recreational users, but the number of people still using the drug is an indication that more work needs to be done to prevent young people from harming themselves. Hopefully, the U.K. can contain this epidemic before it makes its way to other parts of the world.
