You can buy laughing gas balloons or buy laughing gas canisters at online retailers. The law regarding their use or misuse will depend entirely upon which territory or country you are in. What will not change is the health risks associated with inhaling nitrous oxide – it can lead to long term and short term health problems including immediate death by asphyxiation.
Please be aware and make informed decisions regarding both the health dangers and the legal aspects of any potential use of Nitrous Oxide.
Nitrous Oxide and the law. This will obviously depend upon where in the world you are living. In the UK then the possession and use of Nitrous Oxide is entirely legal. Sale of Nitrous Oxide for use as a propellant in whipped cream is perfectly legitimate if however it is sold to be inhaled then it is classed as a medicine and not as a food. Then it is covered by laws regarding the controlled sale of medicines. Nitrous oxide is also used in supercharged cars as an oxidising agent – this is a legitimate use and the nitrous oxide is mixed with toxic gases to make it both extremely unpleasant and lethal to inhale – in much the same way that purple dye is added to methylated spirits to make in more toxic.
The effects of Nitrous Oxide – I am sure you know that it is an anaesthetic used by dentists, but what about its use as a recreational drug? Well according to a Dental reference website then the sensations are:
1. A tingling sensation in the arms and legs.
2. A warm sensations over the body.
3. Euphoria and a floating sensation. Your hearing might distort and your ears fill with a undulating throbbing sound.
4. Sedation. Sleepiness and a difficulty to keep your eyes open. Difficulty in speaking and a dreamlike state.
The dangers of Nitrous Oxide – there are both short and long-term effects of the inhalation of Nitrous Oxide. You really need to know what these are, after all it is your body and your health that is at stake.
Short term dangers: The most obvious danger is the possibility of blacking out and falling and then suffering from an impact injury. There is also a risk of asphyxiation. When nitrous oxide is used in hospitals as “gas and air” then the laughing gas is diluted with oxygen, this makes sure that anybody inhaling the mix has an adequate supply of oxygen. Even if they were to spend all day with the mask clamped over their face they would not suffocate. There have been deaths caused by recreational users of Nitrous Oxide that have placed a bag over their head and the filled the bag with laughing gas. This could either cause the user to suffocate because they are breathing in Nitrous Oxide exclusively or if they were to pass out then the bag itself could cause suffocation.
Long Term Health Risks: Continued use can lead to short term decrease in metal performance. It can also lead to numbness, B12 deficiency and reproductive issues. The Nitrous systems that are intended for use in car and bike engines have added sulfur dioxide to make it toxic.