PUNCH
Blue, black and red balloons, tacked to a bottle-like container, were everywhere in the apartment of a popular Lagos-based skitmaker when our correspondent arrived at his Lekki residence that Sunday evening.
The time was 7:32pm. But for the disco lights and the backlights of phones, the Disk Jockey’s laptop and the colour balloons, the room was too dark to see anything else. Our correspondent could barely identify the faces of the attendees.
The smell of marijuana, cigarettes and other narcotics filled the air.
Many of the party attendees formed a cycle around the bottles and chattered away as our correspondent took a seat close to the DJ.
However, the excitement emanating from the audience seemed unusual.
As the host grabbed the wireless microphone from the DJ stand and mumbled some words, the crowd went into a frenzy.
The attendees in the cycle spun a bottle and took turns inhaling the gas from the balloons. A lady in a black gown inhaled the gas and fell to the ground and began to giggle, drawing a huge laugh from the others, who sat her up and asked her to take a ‘sip’ of a mixture on the table, which she did.
She sat still for a moment and stood up abruptly and began to laugh. The lady made some gestures, struggling to make sense, which made the crowd laugh even harder.
Another person took turn to inhale from the black balloon and sat still with his eyes closed, while passing the balloon to another person. After a few minutes of being still, he jumped up suddenly and hugged another guy who sat close to him.
The balloon, filled with nitrous oxide, was called many fancy names like chargers, hippie crack, N2O and Whippits.
Smoke and laughter filled the air. While the volume of the music could make the building quake, a lady, Mandy, whom our correspondent realised was a lover to the host, was busy vomiting at a corner.
Our correspondent gathered that the substance which the attendees inhaled in the balloon was nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas.
N2O is a colourless gas sold in canisters, usually inhaled using a balloon. According to the United States Cancer Centre, when inhaled, it gives feelings of euphoria, relaxation and calmness, coupled with fits of giggles, which gave rise to the name ‘laughing gas’. It is also said to be accompanied by distortions and hallucinations.
Originally used by medical professionals for sedation and pain relief, N2O is now being abused for recreational purposes.
Reports show that when people take it, they begin to giggle, hallucinate and become dizzy, anxious, or paranoid. It is also said to cause a headache and make one stop thinking straight.
Despite having an immediate effect when taken, researchers say it only lasts for five minutes on the average, which lures the users to take it in excess and sometimes resort to addiction.
Usually, nitrous oxide is inhaled. People open the canister, transfer the gas into a container (usually a balloon), then inhale from the balloon.
The World Health Organisation warns that it is more dangerous inhaling directly from the canister, noting, however, that it is hard to say how many balloons to use per canister.
“Inhaling nitrous oxide directly from the canister is very dangerous because the gas is under such high pressure and it comes out as extremely cold. This can damage your throat and lungs, stop your breathing or slow your heart to a dangerous level.
“Using nitrous oxide directly from a large canister makes it harder to keep track of how much you are taking so you are more likely to suffer the negative effects of using a lot of gas.
“Too much nitrous oxide can make you faint, lose consciousness or suffocate. Mixing drugs is always risky but some mixtures are more dangerous than others,” the global health body adds.
In recent times, the country has witnessed a surge in the use of this dangerous substance.
The United Kingdom’s House of Commons Library in 2020 discussed the misuse of nitrous oxide in a debate. It noted that when inhaled, the gas might have associated health risks.
The national anti-drug advisory service jointly established by the Department of Health and Home Office of the British Government, FRANK, also emphasised that inhaling nitrous oxide directly from the canister “is very dangerous because the gas is under such high pressure. It can cause a spasm of the throat muscle and stop a person’s breathing”.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, in another warning in ,2021 advised the UK Government on the control of dangerous drugs.
It said that long-term use of nitrous oxide could lead to vitamin B12 deficiency, and in severe cases, neurological changes.
In the UK, N2O is normally treated as a psychoactive substance, under the Psychoactive Substances Act (2016). Producing, supplying and importing/ exporting psychoactive substances for human consumption is illegal. This is the same under the Nigerian law. The Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency also puts the drug under the psychoactive substance category and has since banned its use as a recreational drug.
A report titled, ‘Recreational use of nitrous oxide: A growing concern for Europe’, published by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, identified the risks associated with the drug, which is now widely available, cheap and popular among young people.
Seven case studies were presented in the report from Denmark, Ireland, France, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.
Another key factor linked to the increased recreational use of the gas is the widespread availability of small 8-gram cartridges of nitrous oxide (used to fill balloons from which the gas is inhaled).
These cartridges commonly used as an aerosol propellant to make whipped cream are inexpensive and easy to buy from stores and online suppliers.
The report noted, “As the number of people using nitrous oxide has grown, so too has the number of poisoning. This poisoning, although still relatively small in number, tends to be associated with heavier or more frequent use.”
The report also showed a small but significant rise in reports of poisoning.
It indicated that in Denmark, cases rose from 16 in 2015 to 73 in 2021, while in France, 134 cases were reported in 2020 up from 10 in 2017.
Many of the cases reported to poison centres from 2017 onwards involved varying degrees of damage to the nervous system – neurotoxicity – as a result of the irreversible inactivation of vitamin B12 in the body, an essential vitamin for healthy nerve functioning.
Other concerns include severe frostbite, being burns caused by exposure to the freezing gas released from the container, and lung injuries, typically caused by larger cylinders due to high pressure.
In addition, car accidents involving gas have also significantly increased in at least one country, the Netherlands.
Nevertheless, the report stressed, “It is important to recognise that the vast majority of people do not use nitrous oxide, those that do typically use relatively small amounts infrequently.”
Similarly, a study revealed that young people, especially males, are most likely to experience nerve damage from the use of nitrous oxide.
The study, which was carried out on patients admitted to a hospital in England, revealed a predominance of young men of Asian ethnicity among those experiencing neurological harm.
For years, scientists have raised concerns about the health impact of using nitrous oxide for recreation.
There are also concerns about anti-social behaviour associated with the use of the drug. Some are worried about the disturbance caused by those using the drug in public. Littering of empty canisters on the street is also a problem.
Recently, NDLEA operatives were ordered by their Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), to begin clampdown on the illegal sale and use of laughing gas.
The spokesperson for the agency, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement that the decision to clampdown on those involved in the illegal sale and use of nitrous oxide followed an analysis of the effects on those who abuse the substance.
The agency said pending when other measures would be taken in consultation with other stakeholders, especially the Federal Ministry of Health, to curb the menace, it would not hesitate to wield the big stick against anyone involved in the illegal sale or use of nitrous oxide, regardless of their social status. This, it said, was in the overall public interest.
It warned parents, guardians and other stakeholders to be vigilant and warn their young ones against experimenting with or abusing the substance for the sake of their mental and overall well-being.
However, despite the clampdown by the NDLEA, the use of the drug has yet to abate.
Lately, there have been trending videos on social media of young people inhaling the gas.
A professor of Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry, College of Medical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Taiwo Sheikh, described N2O as a toxic gas that could affect the brain if abused.
He added, “It deceives one and makes one feel what is not evident. It makes one feel like one does not have many problems. Besides, it calms the user and it gives a sense of tranquility, which is actually artificial.
“Also, it makes people laugh when they use it. It is not because of the laughing per se. It is because of the psych effects that people derive from it. It is a dangerous trend that distorts one’s liver and causes brain damage. It can even cause bleeding in the brain before it finally takes one’s life.”
He urged the government to be more proactive in tackling the menace before it gets out of hand.
He stated further, “It is a regulated substance. It is not something someone simply buys on the street casually. Some people are buying it illegally.
“In this regard, the government, civil society groups, students, teachers and non-governmental organisations have to educate people openly on the dangers of inhaling nitrous oxide and how it affects the users.
“Majority of the people who use it are youths. This means it is putting our future at stake. That is why it is everyone’s responsibility, not just the government, to campaign against the use of nitrous oxide. Anything that threatens the future generation is a big problem.”
Also speaking, a consultant psychiatrist at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Oshodi Annex, Dr Jaiyeola Kajero, explained that nitrous oxide makes the brain experience a state of euphoria, which is an excessively heightened emotion that typically makes the user happy.
He added that persistent use could slow heartbeats, resulting in a heart attack.
He further said abusing nitrous oxide could lead to vitamin B12 deficiency, which could cause brain and nerve damage.
According to him, it could also cause a tingling sensation and numbness in the feet.
Kajero noted, “It can actually cause confusion, disorientation and panic, and those involved would feel as if they are on top of the world. When you inhale it, if you don’t do it properly by using a balloon or any other means and you take it directly from the canister, it could actually choke you, burn your mouth, lung, and throat, and give you a choking sensation. It denies you of oxygen and some people have been known to pass on while doing this.
“Vitamin B12 deficiency could also lead to anaemia, and the liver could be damaged. It could cause hallucinations, delusions and cold.
“The effect can be permanent after suffering from vitamin B12 deficiency. Some effects can be reversed, but not all.”
Another psychiatrist, Sunday Amosu, told PUNCH Healthwise that nitrous oxide is a painkiller administered to hospital patients undergoing medical procedures.
He, however, lamented that continuous exposure to nitrous oxide beyond medical use had a damaging effect, especially on neurological symptoms related to brain communication.
Amosu, who is the Head of Drug Addiction Treatment Education Research at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State, said the persistent use of laughing gas could make people develop symptoms that include fatigue, irregular or difficulty in breathing, loss of appetite, digestive problem, numbness in the fingers and toes, difficulty in walking and poor vision.
The psychiatrist maintained that the substance affects the neurons and could cause irreversible brain damage in those who use it.
He said, “We know that we depend on oxygen. The brain depends on oxygen and glucose. If nitrous oxide takes over, it means the brain will develop what is called hypoxia, and that is how it causes damage to the brain.
“It is a public health problem. Today, there are many studies about nitrous oxide. It is like heroin and cocaine that are being abused. The effect of this substance is that it affects the central nervous system. That is why people must avoid it. We need to educate people about nitrous oxide and other drugs being abused.
“The common mental illnesses it can cause are schizophrenia or psychosis, which can lead to hallucinations or hearing voices others cannot. It may also lead to the individual being admitted. You know when somebody has such a problem and is admitted, it means such a person has brought illness to the family. Other family members can inherit it because of genetic disposition.”
While describing the substance as a hydra-headed monster, the mental health expert stressed the need for increased awareness to lower the prevalence.
A Senior Registrar in Psychiatry at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Yaba, Lagos, Dr Samuel Aladejare, said although the effects were transient, nitrous oxide could reduce the ability to perceive pain and affect the nervous system controlling muscles.
Aladejare said, “In terms of mental health, there could be a feeling of dissociation, depression, memory problem, hallucinations and unusual thoughts which are also usually transient. These feelings could cause falls, accidents and other physical injuries.
