Nitrous oxide: How does this party drug work and how dangerous are the side effects?

In addition to canned drinks, chocolate bars, and sweets, some snack vending machines also sell nitrous oxide. Packaged in small cartridges, the gas is a popular party drug, especially among young people.

Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) announced in an interview with RND in May that she would ban the sale of nitrous oxide. The Federal Cabinet will now discuss the matter on Wednesday, July 2. But what exactly is nitrous oxide, and how dangerous is it? An overview.

The new Minister of Health, Nina Warken (CDU), speaks for the first time since her appointment in an interview about her plans for health and long-term care insurance. She speaks of a dramatic situation. She has already completed a draft bill.

Nitrous oxide is the colloquial name for the substance nitrous oxide. It has the chemical formula N₂O. According to the Federal Center for Health Education (BzgA), it is a "colorless gas with a sweet odor."

Nitrous oxide has a wide range of uses. In medicine, it is used as an anesthetic, for example, in dental practices or in obstetrics. The gas ensures that patients relax, but they remain responsive, able to react, and breathe independently. Nitrous oxide is also used as a propellant in industry, for example, in aerosol cans or cream dispensers. Therefore, the cartridges are often even available in supermarkets.

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Nitrous oxide, as well as its intoxicating effects, have been known since the 18th century. Even then, "laughing gas parties" were said to have taken place among the British upper classes. According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), there were several periods in which nitrous oxide was popular as a drug, most recently in the 1970s. Since 2010, the agency has registered a sharp increase in consumption.

When inhaled, nitrous oxide affects the central nervous system, producing a brief, intense high. According to the BzgA, the gas evokes a pleasant feeling of warmth and happiness. It can also trigger mild auditory and visual hallucinations. However, the gas can also cause fits of laughter, hence its name. The EMCDDA also describes a feeling of relaxation and "detachment" induced by nitrous oxide, which can be reminiscent of a dream-like state.

However, the effect only lasts about 30 seconds to a few minutes at most. This leads many users to inhale nitrous oxide several times in one evening rather than stopping after one dose.

There is no physical dependence on nitrous oxide with withdrawal symptoms. This is another reason why the drug can be used relatively easily for anesthetic purposes in medicine.

However, prolonged use of nitrous oxide can lead to psychological dependence. This means a strong urge to inhale the substance repeatedly arises. Precisely because nitrous oxide is so popular as a party drug among young people, a kind of peer pressure can also arise.

The short duration of the high from nitrous oxide can also contribute to people taking the drug repeatedly, sometimes at short intervals. Therefore, the dangers posed by an overdose or prolonged, extreme use are greater than the risk of addiction.

Inhaling nitrous oxide causes a lack of oxygen in the body. Therefore, dizziness or headaches are relatively common side effects when consuming small amounts.

It is particularly dangerous to inhale the gas directly from the cartridges: The escape of the highly compressed gas creates evaporative cooling. This can cause severe frostbite on the lips, mouth, and throat, and lung injuries are also possible.

According to the EMCDDA, a lack of oxygen in the blood, also known as hypoxia, can cause nausea and cramps. An overdose can also lead to fainting and, in extreme cases, even suffocation, explains the health insurance company Pronova BKK .

Small nicotine pouches are touted online as a supposedly healthier alternative to cigarettes. These products, known by their Swedish name "snus," are also available at many kiosks. The problem: The sale of these pouches is illegal in Germany. Here, we explain how they work and how dangerous they are.

Prolonged exposure to nitrous oxide can cause permanent damage to the nervous system due to oxygen deprivation. Symptoms range from tingling in the legs, arms, and fingers to severe paralysis and persistent difficulty walking. The spinal cord can also be permanently damaged by nitrous oxide.

Nitrous oxide can also damage brain cells. At a young age, the brain is not yet fully developed. Consuming laughing gas during this phase of life could therefore lead to impaired brain development, according to addiction expert Heino Stöver of the University of Applied Sciences in Frankfurt am Main.

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) recently issued another warning about nitrous oxide. The recreational drug can cause serious health damage, and in extreme cases, consumption can be fatal, the agency stated. Deaths have been reported in the Netherlands, for example. The BfR therefore "strongly advises against such misuse."

The EMCDDA considers nitrous oxide a growing problem throughout Europe. Several countries have therefore introduced measures to combat its spread. The Netherlands and Great Britain have already banned its sale, and Paris has also restricted the use of nitrous oxide for young people.

There is currently no nationwide ban in Germany. Hamburg became the first federal state to ban the sale of nitrous oxide to children and young people in January. Individual cities such as Dortmund, Osnabrück, and Hanau have also already implemented bans.

We last updated this article on July 1, 2025. / With material from dpa