Most of the deaths in the UK have been asphyxiations involving plastic bags, says Dr John Ramsey, a toxicologist who was part of the team that helped compile the death data , using coroner's reports at St George's, University of London. As well as the danger of asphyxiation, when the gas comes out of a canister it can be so cold it can burn. A cold shock at the back of the throat can affect the vagus nerve, causing the heart rate to suddenly slow.
Researchers say that the number of people who die from inhaling nitrous oxide is actually low when compared with the number of people taking the drug every year. Death rates can be difficult to compare but in nitrous oxide was linked to one death - this was fewer than heroin and morphine 2, , cocaine , ecstasy 13 and cannabis seven. The number of laughing gas deaths is fewer than those killed each year by helium, says David Nutt, professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College, London and former UK government drugs adviser.
He argues that laughing gas is actually "exceptionally safe" considering the numbers who use it. If you breathe nothing but nitrous for 10 minutes you will die, but I don't think there's any evidence that nitrous kills people if you use it recreationally. But to some critics, the dangers are clear. Breathing in high concentrations of laughing gas can quickly reduce the blood's level of oxygen. On a night out, in an uncontrolled environment, there is a risk that people can start feeling sleepy as they inhale the gas and pass out, says Dr Anna-Maria Rollin from the Royal College of Anaesthetists.
In March, doctors from the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital in Brighton warned against using laughing gas after a teenager arrived in their emergency unit with breathing difficulties. She had inhaled a considerable quantity at a festival and air had leaked into the space between her lung and chest wall which can cause the lung to collapse. Heavy use can also deplete the body's stores of vitamin B12, causing anaemia and nerve damage. People often use nitrous oxide in conjunction with cannabis or alcohol, explains Shirley Cramer, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health.
By checking this box I consent to the use of my information provided for email marketing purposes. Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or nos, N 2 O is an anaesthetic gas with pain-relieving properties. It has been used recreationally and in medicine for over years. It has become widely and easily available for recreational use as it can be legally bought and sold for the purpose of making whipped cream. Note: As of 26th May , nitrous oxide is illegal to supply in the UK.
Possession remains legal. Nitrous oxide is a colourless gas that is slightly sweet smelling and tasting. Recreational users normally get it from whipped-cream chargers, which are single-use, finger-length steel cartridges containing 8g of highly pressurised nitrous oxide.
This balloon method seems to be relatively low risk. Nitrous oxide is also found in supermarket cans of whipped cream, although it is not as easily inhalable from this source. Other sources of nitrous oxide include full sized gas cylinders, intended for medical or industrial use. Using these is high risk outside of the medical context. Breathing the pure gas directly from a tank using a mask on your face may be fatal because it can cause oxygen deprivation.
Opening a tank in a car or small room could do the same. Filling a bag with the gas from a tank and putting it over your head can kill easily. Tanks of nitrous oxide intended for use in cars can contain other substances like sulphur dioxide which could cause harm. The mode of action of nitrous oxide is still unclear. It has been suggested that its general anaesthetic actions are due to blockade of the NMDA subtype of the glutamate receptor and its analgesic actions may come from stimulation of opioid receptors but neither of these are yet proven in humans.
When someone inhales nitrous oxide, the gas rapidly dissolves into the bloodstream, and hits the brain within seconds. Effects vary between people and are rarely quite the same twice, but a rush of dizziness and euphoria is normal, and people often burst out laughing.
Sound is oddly distorted, voices and music often turning into a throbbing roar like a helicopter. Hallucinations are possible, from simple moving bright dots to complete detailed dreamscapes, although most users do not experience complex hallucinations. The gas is an anaesthetic, so coordination and awareness are strongly affected and users may fall over if they are not sitting or lying down.
The experience ends almost as swiftly as it began, with the peak lasting just seconds and the user back to normal within about 2 minutes. Nitrous oxide also reduces anxiety and pain. Additionally, when inhaled recreationally in the usual and least risky way, from a balloon, the gas in the lungs displaces air, temporarily preventing much or any oxygen getting into the blood.
This may cause the heart to beat faster, and limbs to feel tingly or heavy. Nitrous oxide is used for anaethesia, and relieving pain. Whippets are often used alongside other inhalants that can include a wide range of chemicals, including common household items. One of the many dangers of whippets is addiction, which is the result of changes in brain function and emotional attachment.
When nitrous oxide is prescribed in a safe medical environment, medical professionals can ensure that patients receive all of the oxygen they need. This minimizes any complications, including the potential for abuse and addiction. Whippets can deprive the heart and brain of much-needed oxygen, a condition otherwise known as hypoxia. Long-term use of whippets can cause delayed cognitive development in younger people.
In any other situation, brain damage like cell death occurs when the brain is not given oxygen. So, yes, whippets can kill brain cells. In addition to the brain, whippets can damage organs like the lungs, heart, kidneys, and liver. Frostbite may sound extreme, but nitrous oxide is maintained at 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the canister.
In other words, the pre-frontal cortex allows you the opportunity to stop and think about the consequences of your actions… before you take them.
Unfortunately, using whippets can impair this development. There is a reason nitrous oxide is mixed with oxygen when given as anesthesia. Inhaling pure nitrous oxide can lead to asphyxiation.
This risk of dying due to lack of oxygen is particularly high if:. Because nitrous oxide depresses your central nervous system, death can occur with either sudden, extended exposure or with repeated inhalations.
It can be a matter of seconds, not minutes. Compressed Gas Association, Not only that, but the brain — as do all other vital organs and systems — relies on oxygenated blood from the lungs to survive. Common sense tells us that, if the oxygen is being displaced from your lungs, it is depriving all your organs of oxygenated blood as well.
In fact, your brain needs a continual flow of oxygen in order to function the way it should. Any interruption can cause brain damage in mere minutes. After doing a whippet, your body works harder to get oxygen to the brain by causing your heart to beat faster.
This can both slow down and even stop some brain functions. Cell death is most notable in the area of learning and memory. Columbia University. Vitamin B keeps your blood and nerve cells healthy. It also prevents megaloblastic anemia, a condition which makes you feel weak and tired, and aids in the making of DNA.
A deficiency can cause:. National Institutes of Health. A B deficiency can also destroy nerve cells and damage neurons. Neurons generate the signals that nerves carry to the body. They are covered by a sheath called myelin. When this sheath breaks down a condition called myeloneuropathy , it can damage the brain. Vitamin B is essential for myelin sheath production — and damage to that sheath causes neurological problems, including:.
A lack of vitamin B can also elevate homocysteine levels. This can damage arteries and cause blood clots to form. Even those exposed to nitrous oxide during surgery are at risk. Clinical studies have shown there is a risk of cardiovascular issues after the use of nitrous oxide in a medical operation.
Savage, Beyond the potential hypoxia and asphyxiation, vitamin B deficiency, and elevated homocysteine levels, huffing nitrous oxide can have other negative effects. Using inhalants directly from a pressurized canister blasts your lips, mouth and throat with air that is approximately minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This can cause frostbite, throat muscle spasm as well as damage your throat and vocal cords.
The intense pressure can rupture lung tissue and halt breathing. Faulty dispensers can even explode. Cracking open nitrous oxide with a cracker that has been reused can cold-burn your hands as well.
It is possible to be allergic to nitrous oxide.
0コメント