ArticleDrug and alcohol review2025
Nitrous Oxide Sourcing, Use and Harms: Insights From Australians Who Use Ecstasy/MDMA and Other Illicit Stimulants.
Article in Drug and alcohol review, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Nitrous Oxide as a Recreational Drug of Abuse: Multi-Omics Insights into MAPK/ERK/CREB-Mediated Neurotoxicity and Energy Metabolism Collapse.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Nitrous Oxide Sourcing, Use and Harms: Insights From Australians Who Use Ecstasy/MDMA and Other Illicit Stimulants.Drug and alcohol review · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionIncreasing harms associated with nitrous oxide use have raised concerns, but limited evidence exists to inform harm reduction. This study aimed to identify how nitrous oxide is sourced, the products/forms used, awareness of health risks, engagement in harm reduction and experience of neurological symptoms.
methodsData were collected via annual interviews (2021-2023) with cross-sectional convenience samples of Australians who regularly used ecstasy/MDMA and/or other illicit stimulants and reported past 6-month use of nitrous oxide (2021 n = 379; 2022 n = 315; 2023 n = 284).
resultsThe most commonly reported source of nitrous oxide in the past 6 months was convenience stores, followed by 24/7 delivery services. Sourcing from these retailers was also associated with heavier use. Reported use of larger cylinders (> 8 g) increased from 6% in 2021 to 26% in 2023. While most respondents demonstrated awareness of neurological risk (e.g., brain damage 63%; nerve damage 20%), only one-fifth identified the risk of Vitamin B12 depletion and 17% were unaware of any risks. Almost one-third (30%) reported limiting use per session, 36% limited frequency and 36% took no precautions. Reports of neurological symptoms rose from 5% in 2021 to 14% in 2023 among cross-sectional samples, with few (n ≤ 5) receiving treatment. DISCUSSION AND
conclusionsFindings suggest increasing use of larger cylinders, alongside increasing neurological harms. Given the evolving regulatory and risk environment, close surveillance of usage and market trends is needed. The findings reinforce the need for balanced regulation and targeted education of retailers, clinicians and consumers to reduce harmful patterns of use and encourage early intervention.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.