Editing Nitrous oxide (section)

===Recreational===
{{main|Recreational use of nitrous oxide}}
[[File:Doctor and Mrs Syntax, with a party of friends, experimentin Wellcome L0022227.jpg|thumb|[[Aquatint]] depiction of a laughing gas party in the nineteenth century, by [[Thomas Rowlandson]]]]
[[File:Ban of Nitrous oxide use.jpg|thumb|Street sign indicating ban of nitrous oxide use near the Poelestraat in [[Groningen]]]]
[[File:Nitrous oxide whippits used recreationally as a drug by Dutch youngsters near a school, Utrecht, 2017 - 1.jpg|thumb|[[Whipped-cream charger|Whippit]] remnants (the small steel canisters) of recreational drug use, the Netherlands, 2017]]

[[recreational use of nitrous oxide|Recreational inhalation of nitrous oxide]], to induce [[euphoria (emotion)|euphoria]] and slight [[hallucination]]s, began with the British upper class in 1799 in gatherings known as "laughing gas parties".<ref>{{Cite book|last=Davy|first=Humphry|url=http://archive.org/details/researcheschemic00davy|title=Researches, chemical and philosophical: chiefly concerning nitrous oxide, or diphlogisticated nitrous air, and its respiration|date=1800|publisher=London : printed for J. Johnson, St. Paul's Church-Yard, by Biggs and Cottle, Bristol|others=Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine}}</ref>

From the 19th century, the widespread availability of the gas for medical and culinary purposes allowed for recreational use to greatly expand globally. In the UK as of 2014, nitrous oxide was estimated to be used by almost half a million young people at nightspots, festivals and parties.<ref>{{cite news | title = Warning over laughing gas misuse | url = https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/09/warning-over-laughing-gas-misuse | date = 9 August 2014 | work = [[The Guardian]] |location=London |agency=[[Press Association]] | access-date = 9 August 2014}}</ref>

Widespread recreational use of the drug throughout the UK was featured in the 2017 [[Vice Media|Vice]] documentary ''Inside The Laughing Gas Black Market'', in which journalist [[Matt Shea (documentary filmmaker)|Matt Shea]] met with dealers of the drug who stole it from hospitals.<ref>{{Citation|last=VICE|title=Inside The Laughing Gas Black Market|date=2017-02-07|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdhdAktIHtg| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211029/gdhdAktIHtg| archive-date=2021-10-29|access-date=2019-03-29}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

A significant issue cited in London's press is the effect of nitrous oxide canister littering, which is highly visible and causes significant complaints from communities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2018/07/10/recycling-used-laughing-gas-canisters-for-cash-could-help-create-a-cleaner-britain-7694925/|title=Recycling used laughing gas canisters for cash could help create a cleaner Britain|date=2018-07-10|website=Metro|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-15}}</ref>

Prior to 8 November 2023 in the UK, nitrous oxide was subject to the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, making it illegal to produce, supply, import or export nitrous oxide for recreational use. The updated law prohibited possession of nitrous oxide, classifying it as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nitrous oxide ban: guidance |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nitrous-oxide-ban/nitrous-oxide-ban-guidance |access-date=2023-12-06 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref>

While nitrous oxide is understood by most recreational users to give a "safe high", many are unaware that excessive consumption may cause neurological harm which, if left untreated, can cause permanent neurological damage.<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{cite news |title=Nitrous oxide: Laughing gas users risk spine damage, say doctors |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64718233 |access-date=26 March 2023}}</ref> In Australia, recreation use became a public health concern following a rise in reports of neurotoxicity and [[emergency room]] admissions. In the state of South Australia, legislation was passed in 2020 to restrict canister sales.<ref name=nangs/>

In 2024, under the street name "Galaxy Gas", nitrous oxide has exploded in popularity among young people for recreational use. Most of the popularity has been fostered through [[TikTok]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rakowitz |first=Rebecca |date=2024-09-27 |title=Everything Parents of Teens Need To Know about the Drug Going Viral on TikTok |url=https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/3105253/galaxy-gas-everything-to-know/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=SheKnows |language=en-US}}</ref>