If you were asked to name an addictive drug, nitrous oxide probably wouldn’t be on the tip of your tongue.
After all, doctors say the substance, also known as hippy crack, has no addictive physical properties.
In stark contrast, nicotine provides an immediate mood boost strong enough to prompt smokers to crave another cigarette, leaving them hooked for life.
Opioids like heroin and alcohol work in a similar way.
But when it comes to nitrous oxide, sometimes called laughing gas or laughing gas, and sold in small silver canisters found on the streets, former users have described it as “more addictive than cocaine.” “.
When it comes to nitrous oxide, sometimes called laughing gas or laughing gas, and sold in small silver canisters found on the streets, former users have described it as “more addictive than cocaine.” . TV star Trisha Goddard’s daughter Billie Dee surprisingly called it “more addictive than any other drug she’s ever known.” In the photo, Billie, with her mother, television presenter Trisha Goddard.
TV star Trisha Goddard’s daughter Billie Dee surprisingly called it “more addictive than any other drug she’s ever known.”
“I would need more and more to feel that high again,” she said. ‘It’s more addictive than any other drug I’ve ever known and I took it one after the other, sometimes doubling two bottles in a balloon.
‘I would spend the whole weekend at the apartment and easily reach 500 in two days.
‘I didn’t take care of myself, I didn’t eat properly and I even forgot to drink water some days. I didn’t even have the cognitive function to answer my phone.’
The tragic death of Ellen Mercer highlighted the addictive nature of the drug this week.
The 24-year-old’s abuse of hippie crack cocaine was partly blamed for her death.
The business student, from Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, ordered up to three bottles of the substance a day.
Laguna Treatment Hospital, a rehab center in California, explains how hippie crack can trigger an alcohol-like dependency.
It says: ‘Gases do not have any properties that make them physically addictive.
‘Therefore, people who stop using nitrous oxide will not have any physical withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, abdominal cramps, or diarrhea.
“However, the person may experience psychological dependence.”
This means that the individual “will want to use the drug repeatedly to achieve the effect,” adds the addiction clinic.
Users seek it out as a “cheap” way to get a brief euphoric high.
It is usually inhaled through a balloon. It can cause a tingling sensation in the arms and legs and even numbness in the body.
These effects may be desirable in some people.
As such, Laguna Treatment Hospital adds: “An individual may experience agitation as a result of not having nitrous oxide and may go to extremes to obtain it.”
Studies have suggested that users who develop a tolerance to nitrous oxide and become accustomed to its behavioral effects may later need larger amounts of the gas to enjoy the same effect.
The tragic death of Ellen Mercer (pictured) highlighted the addictive nature of the drug this week. The 24-year-old’s abuse of hippie crack cocaine was partly blamed for her death. The business student, from Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, ordered up to three bottles of the substance a day.
Users look to nitrous oxide as a “cheap” way to get a brief euphoric high. It is usually inhaled through a balloon and can cause a tingling sensation in the arms and legs and even numbness in the body. These effects may be desirable in some people.
Experts advise treating nitrous oxide addiction in a similar way to other drugs that cause psychological dependence.
Some doctors recommend the medication lamotrigine, often used to treat epilepsy and stabilize mood in bipolar disorder, to help patients reduce cravings.
Others suggest receiving drug counseling or visiting an addiction therapist to help develop healthy coping mechanisms and help change behaviors and thoughts associated with the drug.
The drug rose to modern notoriety in the early 2010s as balloon traffickers capitalized on demand, partly fueled by a glamorous array of celebrities and footballers posting images of themselves apparently using it.
Even Prince Harry was once seen consuming nitrous oxide at a charity fancy dress party in 2010 in the capital.
But official figures suggest usage rates have halved in the wake of the pandemic. A series of deaths related to the substance occurs.
In addition to the deaths, serious side effects, such as dizziness, leg weakness, and memory problems, are believed to have deterred today’s children from experimenting with nitrous oxide.
Having too much nitrous oxide can also cause users to pass out or suffocate due to lack of oxygen to the brain if they inhale highly concentrated forms of the gas.
Under Rishi Sunak’s ambitious plan to tackle the plague of antisocial behaviour, nos was made a Class C drug last year, alongside the so-called “date rape” drug GHB, anabolic steroids and the stimulant khat.
Under current laws, those in possession of class C drugs face an unlimited fine, community service, a reprimand (which would appear on their criminal record) or a fine. Possible two-year sentence for serious habitual users.
Nitrous oxide traffickers could also face up to 14 years in prison.
The colorless gas has been used to relieve pain in medical settings such as dentistry and maternity care for almost 180 years.