It appears that nitrous oxide (N2O) is back on center stage as a popular drug for recreational use. Not that it ever really left — just moved to the wings for a while.
This is a drug with a truly fascinating history that includes both recreational and medical use. The Vox website has provided us with a most entertaining overview.
Nitrous, one of the oldest mind-altering drugs, is back
Whippets on TikTok are just a re-run of inhaling nitrous on stage in the 1800s.
Its current popularity seems to have reached the point where it draws attention from the public. In practice, that ordinarily means something sensational has happened, perhaps involving a celebrity. The Vox article mentions several, beginning with rapper/ shoe magnate Kanye West (aka Ye).
Diagnosed more than five years ago with bipolar disorder, he’s precisely the sort of individual that most doctors would urge not to use illicit substances. If so, the warnings haven’t done much good.
Another recent concern: rising use by teenagers, a vulnerable population. A colleague of mine who specializes in adolescent medicine once explained to me that teens are ‘the ultimate herd animals’ when it came to experimentation with drugs and alcohol. “They’ll try something they know to be risky, simply because they’ve heard others have tried it. I think they’re convinced they’ll fall behind socially unless they do. And miss out on a chance to be cool.”
When it comes to nitrous oxide, the most common form for abuse is probably the whippet, a small, silvery cartridge made to be inhaled. A whippet is said to provide an immediate sensation of euphoria and well-being. The feeling doesn’t last very long, of course, so multiple “hits” are required to sustain any kind of high.
One reason for its popularity, especially among users on probation, is that N2O doesn’t show up on conventional urine drug tests. Its half-life in the body is too brief for easy detection, which makes it “safe” for someone looking to get high.
Here’s some helpful information about current use, from WebMD.
As for the treatment field, all we can do at this point is keep an eye out for nitrous oxide in a patient’s history. Wait to see if its new popularity lasts, or if it fades quickly, as so many others have.
When yet another substance comes along to take its place, for better or worse.
