The ‘new’ hot trend on TikTok is a substance that has been around and in use for centuries, but kids are using it recreationally, while it’s typically used in medical — specifically dental — settings.
That’s right, kids are using nitrous oxide, the same substance used in dentist offices and whipped cream cans, and posting about it on video-based social media sites. Though it’s been around (and used illicitly) for ages, the viral nature of social media raises new concerns, and parents should be informed about the risks.
Here’s what you should know about nitrous oxide.
How Kids Are Getting Their Nitrous Oxide
One of the concerns about the substance is that it’s very easy to obtain.
It can be found in some vape shops and gas stations but is also easy to order online because it’s also used for making whipped cream. Tiny canisters of ‘whipped cream charger’ are available from major retailers like Amazon, and in bulk, they come out to less than a dollar apiece.
Since they’re sold as food prep, rather than as a consumable substance, there’s no age limit or other measure in place to prevent anyone of any age from buying them, and the low price makes them even more accessible.
The Risks Aren’t As Obvious As With More Illicit Substances
We all talk to our kids about the dangers of substance abuse. We talk to them about illegal substances and how dangerous and addictive they can be, and about why some substances, such as alcohol and nicotine, are legal but age-limited, because of the damage they can do to developing brains.
But when kids encounter the notion of a high from some seemingly innocuous behavior, like sniffing the fumes from markers or other common materials, it’s hard for them to understand that something in daily use can also have dangers. When the substance in question has a normal use as harmless as making whipped cream, kids figure, how can it be dangerous?
Still, There Are Dangers With Nitrous Oxide Use
Nitrous oxide is less likely to be addictive than some other substances our kids could be drawn to, but since the effects do wear off quickly, kids are more likely to repeat use.
The chemical gives a brief sense of euphoria and can cause hallucinations or delusions. Other effects can include dizziness, headache, and slurred speech. American Addiction Centers warns:
“Frequent or heavy nitrous oxide misuse can be quite dangerous and even deadly. Nitrous oxide has a rapid onset of intoxication but it also wears off quickly, leading some people to repeat use, sometimes at higher concentrations. Frequent, high-dose use of nitrous oxide displaces oxygen available in the lungs, which can result in asphyxiation that leads to brain damage or death.”
Continued use can also cause vitamin B12 depletion, negatively affecting the spinal cord and potentially causing permanent damage. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the use can also damage organs like the liver and kidneys, and result in hospitalization, because unlike in medical use, recreational users aren’t taking in high-flow amounts of oxygen with the chemical.
Viral Videos Leave Out The Potential Consequences
Laughing gas videos and other post-sedative recordings are a whole genre of internet entertainment, though they don’t typically stem from recreational use. Instead, most of the videos come from a parent or friend recording a patient after leaving the dentist, while the individual is still in a confused and sedated state and may express surprise at such discoveries as having a tongue.
Now, though, some of the videos going viral feature party use of nitrous oxide, and show the users in the euphoric state, but not the potential long-term effects.
In fact, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, one company, Galaxy Gas, has halted the sale of their whipped cream charger canisters because of kids obtaining and misusing the products. Even before putting a pause on sales, their website reportedly featured numerous warnings about misusing the products and urging purchasers to only use as intended, in food preparation.
What Should We Be Telling Our Kids About Nitrous Oxide?
For parents, the key is always to keep the conversation open. Make sure your kids understand that any substance that provides a ‘high’ or euphoric feeling or any altered brain state has a mechanism for doing so and that even if it’s not immediately obvious, that mechanism likely has side effects.
Make your kids aware that even if a substance is easy to obtain, that doesn’t mean it is safe. Explain that nitrous oxide, like any inhaled substance, can deprive the body of necessary oxygen, and do permanent damage to organs.
They should also know there is increased risk when the drug is consumed in closed spaces. According to a review published last year in Comprehensive Child & Adolescent Nursing, the use of confined spaces such as vehicles has resulted in deaths due to asphyxiation.
Urge your kids to make safe choices, including calling home for a ride instead of allowing someone impaired (regardless of substance) to drive them, and make sure they know it’s always safe to call you.