Nitrite oxide- laughing gas?

[Flyhigher]

Seen a few teens were doing balloons with this gas. Any knowledge about them? Are they really bad? Boys doing it and they seemed okish. I have no knowledge of it advice?

It's just the latest(ish) trend. It's pretty safe unless it is inhaled pretty much exclusively for prolonged periods. It's quite fun and doesn't last long. It can throw you off balance though.

It can give you long term nerve damage. I have looked after teenagers who have become paralysed and incontinent through nitrous use.

If the big cannisters are held between the legs it can give burns

It's what they give you when you have a baby, except they mix it with oxygen. It can cause brain damage if you inhale it for too long without oxygen, although of the people I know who would do it in their younger years, it's not caused any issues. The high is very short lived (half a minute to a minute if feeling wobbly, light-headed, giggling, room spinny etc.).

It can also cause a vitamin deficiency, I think it's b12, I did know someone thinking about it who couldn't stand up the next morning and his leg muscles were really weak (this was after a massive binge though of those massive cannisters). Went away after a day, called 111 they said it's likely caused a deficiency that will pass. It did pass.

Thanks all!
Should I tell a Mum if her son is doing it?

Yes, if it was my son I would want to know.

Generally I think harm reduction and honesty is far far more beneficial then coming down like a ton of bricks when it comes to teens and stuff like this so I am going to share the harm reduction advice I know about this drug as if someone has a teen they find are consuming it then I think they should know this advice.

So harm reduction advice - out of balloons not out of a canister and to not keep breathing in and out of the balloon. No excessive use -a few balloons not a whole cannister in a sitting. If following harm reduction advice it's very low risk. There are reports of nerve damage caused by B12 deficiency in recent years coming up in neurologist clinics, but the people that is happening to are consuming a significant amount in one sitting of frequent inhalations.

In a few weeks time it is being made illegal to possess it for recreational use,I believe.