The Next Drug Epidemic Is Blue-Raspberry Flavored

[matsushima]

Nitrous oxide has been used as pain medication since the 18th century; in the 1970s, it became a mainstay of various countercultures. The Grateful Dead were known users; clubgoers were photographed inhaling it through masks at Studio 54. Using the drug at the time tended to involve either getting your hands on a medical tank or, eventually, buying small canisters marketed for making whipped cream. These were easy enough to use: Just open the canister, transfer the gas into a container (like a balloon), and inhale. These would eventually become widely available at smoke shops and online.
But bored during lockdowns in 2020, a broader swath of people seemed to realize the value of a drug that they could order on Amazon and that would deliver a reliable 30-second reprieve from the stress and monotony of staying indoors. …
Before the end of the year, nitrous distributors had cleverly changed their packaging and introduced flavoring. Into smoke shops and onto Amazon came enormous tanks of nitrous.
Now, users didn’t have to stop every minute to crack open a new canister. They could get high faster and stay there longer.

-The Next Drug Epidemic Is Blue-Raspberry Flavored by Ezra Markus

Comments

[matsushima]

I already take two highly stigmatized medications. When I need intensive dental care, I always pay out of pocket for nitrous oxide to manage my (pretty bad) dental phobia. I guess I'm worried that this will become more difficult to access the same way I already have to jump through hoops to manage my current medication.