Until now, doctors and researchers thought that laughing gas could not be addictive because the effect is so short. The opposite appears to be true, says Jelmer Weijs on behalf of the Association of Addiction Medicine Netherlands (VVGN) and himself an addiction doctor at Jellinek. “We now see that it is not just a mental addiction, but that it can indeed be a physical addiction.”
The doctors see the criteria associated with an addiction for this drug, such as craving, need more for the same effect, and withdrawal symptoms when you stop. “Your body does become dependent on it. It’s more addictive than we thought.”
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Withdrawal symptoms
The VVGN questioned its members how many patients they have treated last year. Three quarters of the respondents indicate that they have treated patients with nitrous oxide addiction. The number of nitrous oxide patients treated per doctor varies from 1 to 50 patients in the past year. “That is startling”, says Weijs, “because we thought there would be no laughing gas addicts.”
Weijs also sees more patients who cannot do without this drug. “I work in a detox department of Jellinek and now there are also patients with nitrous oxide addiction. Some people need a few days to withdraw.”
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According to Alex van Dongen, prevention officer at Novadic-Kentron, it is now very clear that laughing gas is addictive. He sees parallels with the drug GHB. “GHB was also said in the beginning that it would not be addictive. Later it turned out that it is extremely addictive. It is only when a new drug goes mainstream that you will only find out how addictive it is.”
Van Dongen explains that they now also see this with laughing gas. “The brain indicates: I have to do more. And when people stop, you also see real withdrawal symptoms. Then they vibrate. Users of nitrous oxide have already been admitted to the detox department of the clinic before the treatment could be started.”
Massive use
The Trimbos Institute also sees this development. Laura Nijkamp, researcher at Trimbos: “The developments are worrying. We are receiving more and more signals about problematic use of nitrous oxide with negative consequences for health. It is not a harmless substance.”
How is it possible that doctors and scientists only now see that laughing gas is indeed addictive? “When this drug came on the market, we never foresaw that it would be used so extensively”, explains Nijkamp.
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Nitrous oxide has been on the rise since 2016, according to Nijkamp. “It has since come under the Commodities Act and is therefore available to everyone. The user group is predominantly young and the availability of the drug is large. The use seemed stable in the beginning. We were surprised by how fast developments have gone from that moment on. . “
More research
The Trimbos Institute therefore wants more research into the addictive effect of laughing gas. Nijkamp: “The signals we receive about addiction stand out. We need to get a grip on that. More research is helping to establish what is going on with dependence, we still know too little about that. Apart from that, it is already a matter now. to identify problematic use and make it a topic for discussion. For example, by involving the user’s environment. “
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According to the Association for Addiction Medicine, the gains lie in prevention. Addiction doctor Jelmer Weijs: “It is almost thought that it is a harmless or innocent drug. That turns out not to be the case. Since it has come under the Commodities Act, its use and availability have increased enormously. With heavy users, even in the form of tanks. That this is happening is startling for a drug that was thought to be enough after a few balloons. The image of parents who think there is no harm in their child taking it really needs to change. “
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/data/photo/2020/09/14/5f5edd2a9a012.jpg "Covid-19 cases soar, South Korea fines its citizens who don’t wear masks")