NOS, good, bad, dangerous??

[MrsMercurio]

DS 15 seems very keen I'm trying NOS and his friends seem to have tried it.

Give me the facts please? How common is it? How dangerous?? Is it the thin end of the wedge?? Where do they get it from??

TIA

www.talktofrank.com/drug/nitrous-oxide#the-risks

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recreational_use_of_nitrous_oxide
just a quick wiki

i close work colleague's husband died from inhaling from a pressurized canister. they were young and about to be married, very sad.

You can actually buy them from quite a lot of corner shops if you ask for "cream chargers" so they're pretty easy to get ahold of. They're very common, especially with students. You used to be able to buy them legally in some clubs but that's obviously stopped now.

It's safer if they're being inhaled from a ballon, if they're being inhaled directly from the cracker or the canister then it's a lot more risky, but I doubt they would be doing it that way as 99% of people will do it from a balloon. I'd say the risk isn't too high as long as they're being inhaled from a balloon, and not doing to many. One or two spaced apart will just give you a bit of a light headed and make you giggly, doing a lot in a confined space of time will make you feel a little more trippy.

Are you actually asking people to tell you it's okay to give your 15 year old child permission to take illegal drugs? Absolutely fucking ridiculous.

Unbelievably stupid

I think this is a mature approach (finally) - just dont actively encourage him to partake.

If you didn't have this discussion with him, he'd probably still do it without any information. That's where the danger lies.

We need to stop sticking our heads in the sand. The war on drugs does not work and has not worked.

It is better to teach our children the safest ways. It is better to make then aware of the risks. To make them aware of safe places they can go to without judgement.

The Loop do some brilliant work at festivals. They test peoples drugs and tell them what's in it. They save lives.

Knowledge will save lives, not denial.
I'm not suggesting that anyone actively encourages their child to take drugs. The safest thing to do is to not take them at all but arm them with the knowledge they need to be safe.

It is rare to have deaths related to NOS but it is possible.

Thanks. I'm guessing that the two people saying I'm irresponsible can't read and have younger kids!!

At 15yo they are pretty independent and therefore parents need to advise and support! They can't be locked in all the time like younger kids. They go to school where so much goes on.

My son and I have both done our research and shared what we found. We are going to talk on Saturday.

He obviously doesn't have my blessing but I am keen to keep lines of communication open!!

Thank you for the sensible reply's and good luck with your teens to the two perfect parents!!

Ps reminds me of when I looked down my nose at a toddler throwing a tantrum in a dept store. I genuinely said to my husband I'd never let my perfect newborn behave like that. Bless him, he must have heard as every time we went in that Dept Store he threw the most almighty tantrums!! I soon learnt that tantrums are beyond parents control!!!

DS 15 seems very keen I'm trying **cocaine and his friends seem to have tried it.

Give me the facts please? How common is it? How dangerous?? Is it the thin end of the wedge?? Where do they get it from?? "

What would you say to this?

OP you are being insane. You are the parent and at 15 he is not an adult, and believe me I've met enough teens to know that they need more than just 'advice and support'. It is an illegal drug for a reason!!! Stop trying to be a cool parent and actually listen to yourself, allowing your child to take drugs.

I think the fact is, that the kid is going to do it with or without permission!
I think it's great that they trust you enough to discuss it @MrsMercurio.
Maybe he is nervous and looking for a reason not to try it...maybe he knows it's illegal and is just trying to tell you that he's going to do it because he doesn't want to go behind your back...

The answer has got to be that you don't condone it, but if 'his mates' are going to give it a go, then these are the things to look out for, and what might happen.

The Frank website is really good.

Never a dull moment when parenting teens, eh?!

So I need to ground him and home educate him?

Thanks for the advice. I was actually asking for information.
And no he doesn't get my permission, but he does get help educating himself so he makes the right decision.

If I find it in the house or think he's been using it then that's a different problem with serious consequences.

Pinkyyy I am definitely insane!! No question.

If I find it in the house or think he's been using it then that's a different problem with serious consequences

You are giving him a free pass to use it though? I seriously can't believe this.

Where did I say I was giving him a free pass!!

Just to clarify AGAIN I was asking for information about NOS so I was better informed to deal with a very worrying situation.

I have never and will never allow, condone drugs of any sort.

Thank you to the people who suggested Frank etc. Those information services are very helpful.

You've made a thread saying you know that he's 'keen to try it'. Knowing that it's an illegal drug should be enough for you to take any measures necessary to stop him being involved in it. You then went on to say that because he's 15, you can't stop him, that should not be the case.

Your outrage is clear, @Pinkyyy, but you’re being rather vague. What would you actually do?? Or, rather, have the OP do?

@MrsMercurio I think it’s great that he is being open with you, came to you with this and will be listening to what you say to him. Best any of us can ask for with a teen, imo!

Well I wouldn't necessarily say that 'doing research and talking on Saturday' was a good enough way of getting the point across that it's a serious and forbidden thing. I'd have (and I do) instilled a reluctance to even consider touching drugs, from an early age. Of course, you can't make decisions for them, but the OP is not exactly doing much to deter him.

The very fact that you've said you'll discuss it on Saturday, makes it clear that it's open for discussion- not completely off the cards.

Thanks jointhemicrodots I'm doing my best. Perhaps I should have said he is at boarding school so I will be driving home Saturday and we have all our best conversations in the car on the way home.

So then I’d imagine, @Pinkyyy, that if your children do consider experimenting with drugs, that the last thing they’re going to think of doing is asking for your advice or guidance. Your approach is your choice, and I hope (genuinely) that works out well for you. I don’t see why you are so outraged at someone taking a different approach, though.

@MrsMercurio car journeys are conducive to the best conversations, ime - non confrontational situation, seated side by side with no forced eye contact, natural pauses as driving, things to look at outside the car to diffuse the intensity... all perfect for chatting with teens or kids.

I’ve never gone for the ‘you must never do this’ approach with drugs - ultimately, I don’t think it works, and I think it’s her body and her choice, when it comes right down to it. What I have always done and will continue to do, though, is try to give a balanced and truthful picture, encourage her to think for herself and weigh up the risks with the benefits, and be as safe and savvy as possible if she does decide to intoxicate herself (I include alcohol in that, btw). I’d always rather she asked my advice/input on something than felt she had to hide things from me.

Good luck with your boy on Saturday.

Personally if my teens came to me asking about info about this I would give them all the information and tell them there is ALWAYS a risk of death with any drug and the only way to reduce that risk is not to take it !
A 13 year old boy from not too many miles away has died this Easter holiday from taking illegal substances I’m sure many hundreds of kids and people have taken them before him and been fine but there is always the risk you will be that one !
I have seen drugs destroy people and families and whilst I will show them all the information in the world the bottom line will always be don’t do them !!!!! There is no safe way to take illegal drugs !!!!

OP I see where you're coming from, and why you asked.

I think the biggest thing for me is that illegal drugs (whatever they are) are unregulated, and therefore always unpredictable. You're essentially relying on the decency and honesty of a dealer who is only interested in cash, not the welfare of their customer.

Also well aware that 15 year olds aren't as easily supervised as toddlers/younger kids.
So we've had that chat with DSDs (similar ages) and explained why these things aren't a good idea. Thankfully neither is interested (yet), but I think keeping lines of communication open is crucially important.

My parents didn't, and I got my teenage self into some bloody scary situations that I couldn't have told my parents about.

Of course you're not encouraging him, I've got no idea where posters got that idea from. But if he's determined he'll find a way, so best to arm him with the proper info (including if you can find it what to do if it goes wrong) and have him know he can trust you. He'd be far more likely not to do it, or if he did and it went badly, to contact you for help.

Sorry forgot to add that NOS appears to have caused some pretty high profile deaths and injuries, so it might be worth looking those up too?

And mixing anything with alcohol/other drugs is a recipe for disaster because the body can't cope.