Is #Laughinggas all its #Hippycrack’ed up to be?!
A recent Newsbeat article by the BBC has brought the current issue of Nitrous Oxide use in to focus.
Nitrous Oxide (N2O), more commonly known as laughing gas or hippy crack, has had a high profile in recent months.
Young footballers have been photographed inhaling from balloons on Twitter and Facebook and there have been articles calling for bans following increased use at festivals. Sadly there have also been cases highlighted in the media where N2O has been flagged as a contributory factor in the deaths of young people.
This has led to a variety of activity, including the use of a Public Space Protection Order by one council and the inclusion of N2O in the Government’s bill to ban unregulated drugs.
The effects and impact of N2O can vary depending upon the frequency of use and the amount taken, from mild euphoria to severe headaches, nausea and nerve damage. Mixing N2O with other substances, such as alcohol, increases the risks and can lead to severe complications.
An added issue is that unless you fill the balloon yourself, you have no idea what gas is inside it. If its butane, for example, the risks are far more severe.
Read the full article here:
If you’re worried about your or someone else’s drug or alcohol use there are a range of free and confidential treatment and recovery services available across Warwickshire:
http://www.cw-recovery.org.uk/contact-us/
http://www.compass-uk.org/where-we-work/young-peoples-services/warwickshire/
Safe In Warwickshire 