Nitrous Oxide - Usage Trends

Usage Trends

Nitrous oxide is among the substances of abuse categorized as inhalants. It gained popularity on the dance club circuit because of its supposed aphrodisiacPronounced aff-roh-DEE-zee-ack; a drug or other substance that excites or increases sexual desire. effects. It is also preferred over other inhalants such as spray paints, shoe polish, markers, and glue because it does not leave stains on skin and clothes.

Food-grade nitrous oxide chargers, better known as "whippets," are available by the box or the case and are sold on the Internet. David Holthouse commented in a Phoenix New Times article, "The cardboard boxes [of whipped cream chargers] are decorated with images of fancy desserts and fresh berries, next to warnings not to … directly inhale the contents." Whippets were blamed for the death of a twenty-year-old Virginia Polytechnic Institute student in 1999. The student suffocated after inhaling nitrous oxide from whipped cream cartridges he had purchased through an online merchant.

Patterns of Inhalant Abuse

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Web site notes in its "Inhalants: Drug Facts" publication that "typically, first use of inhalants occurs between late childhood and early adolescence." According to the "2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)"—the latest survey data available in 2005—more youths age twelve and thirteen used inhalants than marijuana between 2002 and 2003. (An entry on marijuana is available in this encyclopedia.)

But general statistics on the broad category of inhalant abuse do not necessarily reflect the rate of nitrous oxide abuse. The 2003 NSDUH reports that less than one third of 1 percent of U.S. twelve and thirteen year olds reported using nitrous oxide as a recreational drug in their lifetimes. However, the rate of glue and/or shoe polish inhalation among youths in the same age group was nearly fifteen times higher than that, at about 4.3 percent.

Heavy nitrous abusers tend to be eighteen years of age or older. This may be due to N2O's growing status as a club drug. According to NIDA, nitrous oxide use occurs frequently at raves, where it is often mixed with other club drugs such as ketamine, ecstasy (MDMA), GHB, and LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). (Separate entries on each of these drugs are available in this encyclopedia.) By the early 2000s, nitrous oxide had gained popularity as a drug that enhanced sexual pleasure. It was even featured in a 2004 episode of the television series CSI: Miami as the cause of death in an otherwise healthy young woman.

Abuse in the Medical and Dental Fields

There have also been cases of nitrous oxide abuse among healthcare professionals. Dentists and anesthesiologistsMedical doctors trained to use medications to sedate a surgery patient. with easy access to the drug seem to be at a higher risk than the general public of developing nitrous-related dependence problems. Dependence is the belief that a person needs to take a certain substance in order to function.

Substance abuse is also especially high among healthcare professionals who administer anesthesia in a hospital setting. According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), about 15 percent of anesthesia providers are substance abusers. "Nurse anesthetists are dying … from accidental overdose or from suicide," reported Carlos "Rusty" Ratliff in "Anesthetists in Recovery: Chemical Dependency in the Profession." Like dentists, certified registered nurse anesthetists have large supplies of nitrous oxide readily available to them. Consequently, nitrous oxide is one of the drugs these professionals may end up abusing.

Dental Highs

In an article posted on the American Dental Association (ADA) Web site titled "Escaping Addiction: The Door to Freedom," Dr. Thomas L. Haynes discusses the topic of addiction among dentists. "The access to large amounts of nitrous oxide," noted Haynes, along with the stress and isolation of the profession, increases the risk of abuse. "Many a dentist has been found lifeless in the office," he continued, "the N2O mask still strapped to the face."

"Chemical Dependence in Anesthesiologists," a document developed by the ASA TaskForce on Chemical Dependence, addresses the problem of drug abuse among anesthesiologists. Although addicted medical doctors typically become hooked on opioidsA substance created in a laboratory to mimic the effects of naturally occurring opiates such as heroin and morphine. such as fentanyl, nitrous oxide was mentioned by the ASA as another potential drug of abuse. (An entry on fentanyl is available in this encyclopedia.)

Calling Attention to a Serious Problem

NIDA began an intensive campaign against inhalant abuse in 2005. This action was prompted by the results of the 2004 Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, an annual survey of drug use among young people in the United States. The MTF survey is conducted by the University of Michigan with funding from NIDA. Findings for 2002 through 2004 indicate that inhalant abuse among eighth-grade students was on the rise during that period. As of 2004, approximately 17.3 percent of eighth graders in the United States had abused an inhalant at some time in their lives. That represents an increase over the 2003 figure of 15.8 percent. This "upward trend in use," according to the MTF report, was accompanied by a "decline among eighth graders in the perceived risk of using inhalants."