From the Milanese investigation into luxury parties to the boom in recreational consumption: what laughing gas is, what effects it causes and why experts are raising the alarm.
The starting point is the news. Recent investigations into exclusive evenings between models, escorts and footballers in Milan have brought back into the spotlight a substance that has been circulating for years, but which continues to be perceived as harmless: during the parties, according to what emerges from the documents, it was in fact consumed laughing gasknown as the “balloon drug”. An inducing compound immediate euphorialeaves no traces in the body and, precisely for this characteristic, it is not included among doping substances. As a result, athletes could take it without the risk of testing positive in doping tests. The phenomenon, however, does not only concern elites and exclusive environments. In recent years, consumption has also spread among younger people, precisely due to the combination of easy availability, reduced cost and limited duration of the effectselements that make it particularly insidious.
What is laughing gas: medical use and recreational spread
From a scientific point of view, the nitrous oxide (N₂O) it is a colorless gas, with a slightly sweet taste, used for over a century in medicine as an analgesic and sedative, especially in dentistry. Its popular name comes from the immediate effects: a feeling of euphoria, lightness and disinhibitionaccompanied by perceptual alterations and reduction of anxiety. Precisely these characteristics have favored its recreational use, often through inhalation from balloons filled with cartridges or siphons created for food use. This gas was already used for recreational purposes in the eighteenth century and today is classified among the inhalantssubstances that produce psychoactive effects through inhalation. Its contemporary diffusion, however, has new characteristics. It is perceived as “soft”, almost harmless, precisely because the effects last a few minutes. This brevity, paradoxically, is one of the factors that favor its abuse: the experience is short, repeatable and apparently without immediate consequences.
Effects, symptoms and risks: because it is not harmless at all
The narrative of laughing gas as a “light” substance clashes with medical data. Immediate effects include dizziness, nausea, headache and disorientationdue to the depressive action on the central nervous system. At higher doses, the risks increase rapidly: you may experience loss of consciousness, respiratory depression, asphyxia, arrhythmias and cardiac arrest. The danger is amplified by the method of intake: inhaling the gas directly from cylinders or cartridges can cause cold burns to the respiratory tract. But it is in the medium to long term that the most underestimated critical issues emerge. Repeated use may cause severe vitamin B12 deficiencieswith even permanent neurological consequences, including neuropathies and damage to the nervous system. Not only that. According to several studies and trials, nitrous oxide can generate psychological dependence and neurological disorders, so much so that some countries have begun to introduce restrictions or bans. The central point is the discrepancy between perception and reality: laughing gas it is not considered doping and has legitimate medical usesbut that doesn’t automatically make it safe outside of controlled contexts
