Nitrous oxide—also known as laughing gas or nangs—is cheap, widely available and popular among young people. Yet it often flies under the radar in public health programs and education settings. For example, it's not included in the drug education curriculum in Australian schools .
In our new study , we spoke to young people (aged 18 to 25) who have used nitrous oxide . We found they were unaware of its risks—even when they reported symptoms such as "brain fog" and seizures. What is nitrous oxide? Nitrous oxide is regularly used for sedation and pain relief in dentistry and childbirth.
The gas, which has no color or flavor, is also used recreationally and is known as nangs, nos, whippits and balloons. In fact, nitrous oxide has been used to get intoxicated since its creation in 1722, and wasn't used in surgery until 1842 . It can create a feeling of dissociation from the body, changes in perception and euphoria.
This lasts about one minute. In Australia, nitrous oxide is cheap and accessible. This is because the gas is also used in baking , for example to whip cream.
So, while it's not legal to sell nitrous oxide for recreational use, the canisters or "bulbs" are widely available online via 24-hour delivery services. People usually discharge the gas into a balloon or a whipped cream dispenser and then inhale. Nitrous oxide is intensely cold —minus 40 degrees Celsius.
How common is it? We still don't have much data about who uses nitrous oxide and how often. Compared to.