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Nitrous oxide: Laughing gas possession to be illegal in three weeks
- 4pkjai 3y agoLots of bars in Vietnam give this out for free.
- drchaos 3y agoYeah, surely prohibition will work this time. /s
- orra 3y agoYou've been downvoted but you're right. Banning drugs doesn't stop consumption. However, drugs bans can shift people from safer drugs to borderline-legal but unsafer drugs. It also prevents people getting purer drugs, leading to unsafe mixtures. And there is a chilling affect on safe consumption information, as well as accessing medical treatment.
- hnbad 3y agoIt also leads to people seeking drugs illegally, which in turn can result in people taking more dangerous drugs because illegal drug dealers have a profit motive without being constrained by the legality of the drugs they're selling.
- mrbn100ful 3y agoIn that case, user are going to use Butane instead. It's far worst for the body, but easily accessible and cheap.
- Traubenfuchs 3y agoHad it once, gave me intense euphoria for a very limited time (less than a minute), kind of a stupid drug. Of all the substances to forbid, this one? Vitamin B12 deficiency, really now? How much of it do you have to take for that to occur? Also, probably the easiest deficiency to correct.
- bburrito 3y agoAgreed. Unless you are doing psychedelics. In which case it acts as a catalyst. Interestingly, part of the reason it is still used is because it allows for a reduction in dosage for other things are also used as part of the cocktail prescribed for modern anasthesia. I was curious so I went and looked. I will definitely be reducing my usage of it to only when I do psychedelics. https://clinicalview.gehealthcare.com/article/use-or-not-use-nitrous-oxide-anesthesia-providers-decision-when-nitrous-oxide-should-be https://clinicalview.gehealthcare.com/article/use-or-not-use...
- Euphorbium 3y agoSurprisingly, I did not see any synergy with mushrooms. Just lsd.
- misja111 3y agoBelieve it or not, but some people started to take amounts like 250 balloons a day. The consequences of chronic B12 deficiency are serious and irreversible; nerve damage and paralysis. Also now and then someone decides to drive a car while inhaling NO2, which as you can imagine, is not really a bright idea. These are rare cases but unfortunately these people are spoiling it for the rest.
- orra 3y ago> these people are spoiling it for the rest. These people aren't spoiling it for the rest. The government was always going to ban it because: (a) the government and the opposition always favour authoritarian drugs laws; and (b) they are unpopular and (due to ideology) incapable of solving real problems, so they announce terrible policies instead.
- zeristor 3y agoDoesn’t the balloon get in the way? There was petrol sniffing, and then people having a cigarette afterwards. The glue sniffing. So many silver phials dumped on the pavement, now people are buying the catering sized canisters of Nitrous oxide, and dumping that too.
- bburrito 3y agoEverybody just became whipped creme producers. Sorry copper, I like whipped cream to go with my 4am coffee at the rave. Legitmate use and all that.
- littlestymaar 3y agoI wonder why we're using N2O at all for whipped cream though? Why not propane like for deodorants or even CO2?
- glenngillen 3y agoCO2 imparts a sour taste. The bubbles are also bigger, which provides a different and less creamy mouthfeel.
- kennywinker 3y agoWouldn’t CO2 carbonate as it whips?
- CorrectHorseBat 3y agoNo propane because who wants to eat propane? Apparently it's NO2 because it dissolves easily into the cream[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whipped-cream_charger https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whipped-cream_charger
- rightbyte 3y agoYou don't wanna eat propane.
- hellotheretoday 3y agoC02 and water makes carbonic acid, which creates an acidic/bitter taste. This is fine and even desirable in some things like soda and beer but in whipped cream it’s pretty gross. The bubbles are also less stable which is why you get popping carbonation instead of something more akin to a smooth foam head on a nitro brew N2o doesn’t react with water and the bubbles are more stable so it is a far superior choice for whipped cream. Those bubbles dissolve in the fat of the cream under pressure then upon release aerate the cream resulting in a lighter, fluffier product. That’s why propane wouldn’t work (plus imo propane also imparts an off flavor and I don’t want to eat it despite it being generally recognized as safe). N2o also inhibits bacterial growth, both through replacing oxygen in the canister (which all 3 would do) but also because it’s bacteriostatic. Probably other stuff too This law is dumb. Make your own whipped cream! A siphon is like $50 now. It makes whipped cream super fast without needing to whisk a bunch and you can also use it to make pickles really fast. You can also use it to carbonate fruit slices and make cocktails if you get c02 chargers
- beardyw 3y agoSo the government wants us breathing more carbon monoxide and less nitrous oxide. Strange times.
- ChatGTP 3y agoAbuse of nitrous oxide is also dangerous to people's health and today we are sending a clear signal to young people that there are consequences for misusing drugs. Both users and dealers will face the full force of the law for their actions." Why not ban alcohol and tobacco then ? Critics have previously warned against a ban, saying it could stop users seeking medical help, but the government says it is clamping down on antisocial behaviour and drug taking in public. Again alcohol does this I wish the government would focus on decarbonisation and real crime and mind their own fucking business when it comes to recreational drug use…
- sdflhasjd 3y agoAlcohol will never be on the table for a ban, but there's been some movement on having a New Zealand style phase-out of tabacco.
- ChatGTP 3y agoWhich is also nonsense. I dislike smoking as much as anyone, but banning it altogether for recreational consumption? Completely ridiculous. Education and support to help people quit is the best defense against stupid. Not bans.
- Aerroon 3y agoI don't want the government to "send me signals" to control my behavior. That kind of crap belongs to unfree countries.
- frereubu 3y agoNot offering an opinion one way or the other on either of these, but the government does have plans to ban tobacco in a phased approach, so someone who's 14 now would never be able to buy tobacco legally.
- sgt 3y agoWhat about usage in cars and vehicles? It's popular at the drag strip, for one.
- ridgeguy 3y agoYou may be thinking of nitromethane.
- abainbridge 3y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrous_oxide#Internal_combustion_engine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrous_oxide#Internal_combust...
- mrbn100ful 3y agoI have the same question, the UK has a very well-known Drag Strip (Santa Pod). People all over Europe goes there, it's going to hit the track.
- helsinkiandrew 3y agoIronically, it's use in cars (by the people driving them, not for performance) is probably a major reason it is being banned: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/09/cardiff-crash-victims-had-been-drinking-and-inhaling-nitrous-oxide-court-papers-show https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/09/cardiff-cras...
- qwerty456127 3y agoHow efficient it actually is? I laugh much less than I would like to. I do have adequate sense of humour and can find jokes funny but that's just a thought, I hardly ever laugh actually. Can the gas help me?
- Euphorbium 3y agoI was pretty much an addict of it, and it did make me laugh just a couple of times. That is not the main appeal.
- ranguna 3y agoWhat is the main appeal?
- microjim 3y agoIt feels quite trippy and delirious and somewhat physically pleasurable and if you have enough you teleport into another dimension
- ranguna 3y agoInteresting, thanks for the info.
- qwerty456127 3y agoA humble amount of Salvia Divinorum smoked will catapult you to the orbit of the multiverse beyond all the dimensions you could ever imagine in an instant then gently land you completely back to Earth in just some minutes safely. This is not really pleasurable (that's why its abuse potential is low - I doubt many people would want to repeat the trip shortly after) but definitely impressing while free of any discomfort and physically safe.
- Euphorbium 3y agoNOTHING about salvia divinorum is gentle.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- qwerty456127 3y agoWhat harm does nitrous oxide usage inflict to the user or to the society and how is its criminalization meant to do any good to anybody, let alone more good than harm?
- yellow_lead 3y agoTo the user, over a period of time, brain damage
- orwin 3y agoNerve damage to be exact. Loss of mobility/dexterity and of some proprioception (not temporary) were reported after nitrous oxide anesthesia since at least the 90s (I actually think it's before but I can't research it right now).
- rightbyte 3y agoI guess the risk is getting to little oxygen if inhaled in concentrated form? At the dentist it is mixed with oxygen. Doesn't warrant a total ban on for fun use though. Maybe pubs shouldn't sell it ... Also long term use might lead to chronic problems.
- helsinkiandrew 3y agoMainly people are taking this outside of home and often whilst driving, cycling, or riding scooters: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/09/cardiff-crash-victims-had-been-drinking-and-inhaling-nitrous-oxide-court-papers-show https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/09/cardiff-cras... https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mum-high-laughing-gas-crashes-30159759 https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mum-high-laughing-gas-... It's quickly become the 2nd biggest killer of the volatile substances. I guess it also doesn't have many legitimate uses compared with others (glues and fuels etc): https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/deathsrelatedtovolatilesubstancesheliumandnitrogeninenglandandwales/2001to2020registrations#volatile-substance-related-deaths-by-selected-substances https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsde...
- 3y ago
- dariosalvi78 3y ago> When used as a recreational drug it is inhaled, and can make people feel relaxed, giggly, light-headed or dizzy. sounds much less riskier than alcohol, then why not ban alcohol? Oh well, why wasting yet another opportunity to control people's behaviour?
- kick_in_the_dor 3y agoI live in London. The number of times you see industrial-sized cans of nitrous oxide thrown on the street is disgusting. Bars also have signs in the window that people aren't allowed in if they've taken nitrous oxide.
- dariosalvi78 3y agothen fine the littering?
- orwin 3y agoI think this is overreacting to a real but localized issue. Or rather, underreacting and targeting the wrong cause. Also, that move should shove a boot up the ass of the medical community. Maybe in the 90s, there was less alternative for anesthesia, but hopefully in 2023, you shouldn't have any reason to use it. We know it's toxic since like the 80s. Less mortal than letting people die, so i have nothing against those who used it then (and doctors who currently use it in poor or emerging countries), but if you have the resources to use better equipment, it's almost criminal to still use it.
- dr_dshiv 3y agoOn laughing gas I realized that the entire cosmos is the smell of burnt almonds — paraphrasing William James
- woleium 3y ago“ there are no differences, but differences of degree between different degrees of difference and no difference”
- frereubu 3y agoAll the hallmarks of a policy from a government that has entirely run out of ideas. An easy target because it's mostly young people, who are never going to vote Tory at the next election. Stupid that they're spending time on this because no-one will take any notice when it comes to voting - people are much more concerned about the fact that large numbers of people are struggling to pay their mortgage / rent and the health service is crumbling after years of underinvestment.
- reedf1 3y agoThis is not really about the social impact of Nitrous oxide use at all. The origin of the upset is based in the litering of the capsules used. The government doesn't care about the underlying issue (the reason for public annoyance or such trivialities like the effectiveness of prohibition), they discovered this policy polls at >51% in a target demo (older folk) so the policy is a go.
- vixen99 3y agoSome background: https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/topic-overviews/recreational-nitrous-oxide-use-europe-situation-risks-responses_en https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/topic-overviews/re...
- blkhawk 3y agoIsn't it sorta easy to generate? Just take a look at the Wikipedia article - just heating ammonia generates it (if the product is a bit wet so run it through a tank of kitty litter). Looking into it more a glycol might work in absorbing both the water and the left over ammonia. Other reactions are listed as well and they look like the reactants could be got in useful quantities without that much trouble. So easy to generate and I can think of a few ways to semi-bulk distribute with minimal capital outlay. OFC a black market economy will mean terrible safety of the product.
- snehk 3y ago> just heating ammonia generates it Didn't this cause the explosion in Beirut?
- blkhawk 3y agoFertilizer caused the explosion - ammonia-nitrate I think not ammonia.
- inemesitaffia 3y agoWe aren't all in Beirut
- tudorw 3y agohttp://www.thedrugswheel.com/ http://www.thedrugswheel.com/
- rasz 3y agoHow will I hit 10 second pass now?
- wink 3y agoI read nothing about cars, isn't that the same stuff? (As you can see, I'm neither an expert on drug use nor on tuning cars.) I suppose the system itself is street legal in many countries, even if maybe not the use. But even if you assume track usage...
- 0x008 3y agoWell, now they made sure it is impossible to control that underaged teenagers can continue using that stuff.
- bananapub 3y agofor context, this government has been in power for thirteen years, is on their fifth Prime Minister, and has acommplished nothing of note aside from grinding down public services and growth and leaving the world's largest free trade area, but still have a year left of their term so are just spending that time fucking around doing nothing except dumb things like this.