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'Laughing Gas' Users High on Phi Phi, Phuket as Officials Wonder Whether It's Legal in Thailand
By Chutima Sidasathian and Alan Morison Tuesday, June 9, 2015
PHUKET: A huge row has broken out on the Thai holiday island of Phi Phi over a surge in tourists using nitrous oxide - laughing gas - a form of hallucination that is about to be banned in Britain.
And if it is being inhaled in large quantities on Phi Phi, then young travellers are almost certainly also using it on Phuket, Samui and in other holiday destinations in Thailand - a country that has a zero tolerance for drugs and packed jails to prove it.
''These people just lie on the footpaths, laughing,'' said one resident today on Phi Phi, a popular rites-of-passage destination,where people in their 20s from all over the world come to party.
The gas, inhaled in balloon form, is available at 200 baht a pop on Phi Phi, with no limit on availability - because police appear uncertain whether nitrous oxide is a banned drug in Thailand or not.
Police and Public Health officials on the island, about 70 minutes by ferry from Phuket, were scrambling late today to find someone in authority who could tell them what to do about the problem.
Young tourists were being supplied with the gas in unlimited quantities by local and expat bar owners cashing in on the craze for the drug, according to perplexed local residents.
Meanwhile on that colder-climate European holiday island, Britain, authorities are facing massive protests over moves to have use of nitrous oxide banned and made illegal.
A mass inhalation of nitrous oxide is going to happen outside parliament later this month in protest against new drugs laws banning use of the gas.
Use of nitrous oxide in Britain has exploded recently, with a survey showing that laughing gas - also known as hippy crack - is being taken by 23.6 percent of UK respondents, which was the second highest rate after the Netherlands.
Inhalers who want to hallucinate use colorful kids' balloons to take the gas.
What's happening on Phi Phi and being reported on social media is the first revelation of the use of nitrous oxide being widespread among young holidaymakers in Thailand.
Dr Panat Sopanapong, chief of the Public Helath department for Krabi, the province that oversees Phi Phi, said: ''People can die if they overuse this substance.
''We will need a ruling on its use at the highest level because it's such a concern to residents that nobody knows whether it's legal or not.''
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Comments
Comments have been disabled for this article.
Are young people really this stupid? Why do they need these highs?
In my day as a teenager, a can or two of lager was considered daring!
Posted by
Logic
on
June 9, 2015 21:41
"People can die if they overuse this substance" Great observation doctor, however people can die from overuse of all known substances. I'm not saying nitrous oxide should be abused its used in the medical profession for patients and has a relaxing ability to the patients mind, it's not a good idea to mix it with alcohol or any other psychoactive substances.
Alcohol is a psychoactive substance by the way, its just a legal profitable one for most nations.
Posted by
Syd
on
June 9, 2015 23:05
Sad - their priceless time would be better served doing about a million other things..
But rendering themselves all but useless on the ground sort of eliminates all of them..
Signed,
Going to Ground
Posted by
farang888
on
June 9, 2015 23:48
Laughing gas, or nitrous oxide, is still used by many dentists in the western world at least to relax their patients. You can't "overdose" on it, but if it is not properly mixed with oxyygen, it can fill the lungs, forcing out the air, and can suffocate. It was all the rage at trendy parties in Sydney in the 1990s. It is good fun, and everything is funny, but it can be quite dangerous.
Posted by
phil
on
June 10, 2015 00:49
N2O has a several legitimate uses such as in internal combustion engines, whipped cream pressurized bottle propellant, and medicine. In the states it isn't banned federally, but there are FDA restrictions on it's branding and distribution/access by minors. Some individual states have made it's possession for recreational use illegal, but it remains widely available. There is not much research on the damaging effects of recreational use, but some studies suggest it can produce neurotoxicity, especially in heavy users. Users under it's influence are considered diminished just as with other controlled/banned drugs. I suspect we will see stricter controls put in place globally as it's use becomes more popular.
Posted by
Joe
on
June 10, 2015 01:02
Nitrous inhalation can certainly be deadly. A friend of mine Willie Saez died in Baltimore MD in 1995 of nitrous inhalation.
He had his own tank of it. While inhaling alone he passed out with the inhalation mask he make he made still attached. RIP my friend.
Posted by
anonymous
on
June 10, 2015 01:19
"..it's such a concern to residents that nobody knows whether it's legal or not..."
LOL !!! ask TUK TUK.. they know everything what is legal ot not..
Posted by
dave
on
June 10, 2015 01:29
Dental clinics advertise here "laughing gas" as an anesthetic.
If the gas is not on any list that are attached to Narcotics Control Act by Ministerial regulation, then it is legal for now.
Local authorities have no power at all to append the list.
However the Cabinet can do it easily, through delegation to the appropriate Ministry.
Posted by
Sue
on
June 10, 2015 04:01
Logic: "In my days as teenager..."
===
Obviously , the same has been about your generation by your ancestors.
That is just regular inter-generational conflict, if there would no such, then there would be no development if young people blindly follow stereotypes created by previous generation.
Much wiser is to put efforts to try to understand younger generation, than just recall "good old times"..
Posted by
Sue
on
June 10, 2015 04:49
phil, anonymous , yes, indeed :
"nitrous oxide is only safe if administered with a balloon. you should never inhale from the canister, that may lead to ruptured lungs. transfer nitrous into a balloon by blowing it up. if you are using a cream can, you really don't want any cream in the balloon, inhaling cream bits can lead to dangerous lung infection. i mentioned its half safe, because there is a video here on drugsforum with medical equipment attached to a user that shows that having more than 2inhales from a balloon leads to dangerously low levels of oxygen in the blood(hopefully the video is still in video section). because nitrous is a lighter gas you may choke yourself without noticing(if using a mask or bag over the head) or pass out fall down and hit your head. in a hospital, nitrous is mixed with 40%oxygen, 60% nitrous. at home its not advisable to inhale more than twice one after another from a balloon of pure nitrous.
the high is dizzy, lightheaded, disoriented, confused, tachycardia, mild euphoria, dissociation, lasts about 3-5min. normally doesn't cause laughter; was named laughting gas because of people laughing at you being high, and not because of your laughing, normally people don't laugh on nitrous. its a good idea to do ruinous while laying down for safety reasons"
from drug-forum.com
Posted by
Sue
on
June 10, 2015 04:59
Thailands drug laws are simply outdated and behind the market.. Eg Mephedrone which can be purchased cheaply by the KG shipped from chinese labs is not on the list of banned drugs here. Yet I would have no faith whatsoever in Thai police ability to ID it via testing. White powder = must be illegal.
Posted by
LivinLOS
on
June 10, 2015 06:29
slow news day Alan? OMG nitrous oxide. 555
Posted by
thomas
on
June 10, 2015 06:32
Editor Comment:
laughing inappropriately, slow brain day? Lay off the funny balloons, thomas.
I fail to see the problem here. People just lie on the footpath, laughing? OMG quickly, set up a meeting with the army and the chief of police to stop this infamy!
Posted by
John
on
June 10, 2015 07:47
They lie down so they don't fall down and injure themselves or anyone else let alone introducing a artificial gas to the lungs enough reason to ban it,its a dangerous practice and they don't care less about footpath obstructions to other pedestrian traffic best its outlawed in the interests of all
Posted by
slickmelb
on
June 10, 2015 07:59
Killjoys - nothing wrong with a bit of fun. Nothing in this world is totally harmless but this would seem better than bucket after bucket of cheap vodka.
UK is the same - trying to take any last bit of fun away .
Posted by
Discover Thainess
on
June 10, 2015 11:17
There is only one answres to this. The users. Arrest, deportation, and stamp in passport saying no re-entry to Thailand. For the dealer, arrest,heavy money penalty, deportation, stamp with no re-entry to Thailand. Thai dealers, heavy money panalty, and jail.
Posted by
Retired Roadworker
on
June 10, 2015 13:03
Well. I must be getting old to moralize in these matters. BUT who really want their daughter lying on guesthouse staircases hysterical and behave like a monkey??? Falang bah maak maak means crazy behavior made by a foreigner In Thai. Magaluf have had enough just now as well and taking very drastic steps because young foreigners behave like monkeys around the clock.I just think it is up to every country to decide what kind of behavior they want inside their borders. If some teenager kids buy the wrong gas and inhale pesticide and die people would surely blame Thailand for it, if Thailand accept these public offenders.
PS I just remember ST Anton as well. When crayzyness goes to far even if made of teenagers it have to be stopped
Posted by
A Joe
on
June 10, 2015 15:01
Travel sickness pills are fun too and available in most pharmacies and local shops 10 does the job for about 30 Baht
Posted by
Mac
on
June 10, 2015 15:23
@ Retired Roadworker
While you are at it, why just not burn them at stakes like back in the Good Old Days ?
Oh, hang on, there's that annoying little detail of what they did actually not being illegal but hey, don't let such pesky facts get in the way of your own little lynching party.
Happy Hunting.
Posted by
Herbert
on
June 10, 2015 15:48
Hey Mac. What good come from the burned out synapses of yours. It was not funny if you, one cell only , try to think of consequences of your posted action. It was funny in one way (travel pills), I give that to you but where can you travel in your sick world (full of drugs???) to avoid trash behavior. Thailand do not want to be a trashcan for washed up kids. Does that sounds familiar to you???
Posted by
A Joe
on
June 10, 2015 16:29
It's ok if these stupid young people die of drug overdose because this planet is over populated. They do not value their lives.
Posted by
black cat
on
June 10, 2015 17:33
Herbert,
Don't think cooking opium with ammonium chloride and other chemicals makes heroin very herbal.
Posted by
Michael
on
June 10, 2015 19:05
Heroin is the original trade name of Diacetylmorphine produced by Bayer in Germany. The head of Bayer's research department reputedly coined the drug's name, "heroin," based on the German heroisch, which means heroic, strong. Bayer led commercialization of heroin.
Posted by
Arun Muruga
on
June 10, 2015 20:37
Sorry A Joe I don't understand your last post. Can you write it in English so that everyone here can understand to?
Posted by
Mac
on
June 11, 2015 03:30
AM,
And also originally marketed as a non addictive alternative to codeine and morphine for relief of TB symptoms and severe coughing.
Posted by
Manowar
on
June 11, 2015 04:54
Heroin is made of opium, extracted from poppy plants. It is then further treated, just like coca leaves to cocaine or even the Krathom leaves mixed with all kind of substances and chemicals to mask the God awful taste.
It's just as much "herbal" as those are, which itself means absolutely nothing, except for those who endorse the use of illegal drugs and use it as a punch line.
Posted by
Herbert
on
June 11, 2015 07:40
As I understand it Nitrous Oxide inhaled from a balloon does no worse than elevate your voice level to a high falsetto like that of a "chipmunk".
This is what makes others around you laugh at the effect.
It's not a dangerous addictive drug, just a bit of fun.
Posted by
Hugh Jarse
on
June 11, 2015 10:24
Nitrous oxide pushes oxygen out of the blood and during overdose organs begin to function abnormally. This can cause permanent brain damage or death.
Posted by
Paul
on
June 11, 2015 10:49
Odd definition of herbal.
Coca is herbal cocaine is not
Opium is herbal heroin is not.
By adding chemicals and processing makes it non herbal
Posted by
Michael
on
June 11, 2015 11:05
MAC. Pardon my English but stick to your drugs in private and not like a fool in public as the Ladys on the picture. Do you get my point???
Posted by
A Joe
on
June 11, 2015 12:05
@ Michael
First of all, you responded to the wrong thread. You may want to read the article my responses actually relate to, including the preceding comments.
Krathom use was defended by claiming it's herbal. Well, it's not exactly eaten off the tree either but mixed with substances like M-150 and chough syrup, and yes, with chemicals like pesticide.
By that definition Heroin and Cocaine are no less "herbal".
The whole "herbal" or "natural" argument is irrelevant and only used to imply that whatever appears in the nature is somehow good or pure and thus should be legalized.
Animals get high on alcohol from fermenting apples to palm tree sap, yet comparisons are always made between alcohol and "natural" drugs by those with an agenda.
Ever seen a T-shirt reading " God created Marijuana, man created alcohol. Who do you trust ".
Total rubbish. Alcohol occurs in the nature without any human input.
Where and how the substance comes about is meaningless. Only concern is what it does to the human body when consumed.
Trying to make a case based on sheer lies only convinces those already inclined to embrace the agenda anyway or those with diminished brain capacity.
Posted by
Herbert
on
June 11, 2015 14:11
@ Sue
Dental clinics advertise here "laughing gas" as an anesthetic.
Nitrous oxide which is sometimes referred to as 'laughing gas' is used in dentistry as a relative aneasthetic which when used as such maintains the cough reflex. The cough reflex is lost under an general anaesthetic
Posted by
Paul
on
June 11, 2015 20:21
Its even funnier when mixes with helium, the speech brings on laffs even more
Posted by
mike
on
June 11, 2015 21:55
Oh Oh, priorities, priorities! Safe roads, with law enforcement by police. Safe disco's, with fire protections laws by fire brigades.
Law enforcement closing times bars at Chalong Patak road by police..
Environment law enforcement polluted and poison water released at beaches. Aah, ther is so very much more important than a stupid laugh gas thing.
Posted by
Kurt
on
June 11, 2015 23:19
@Paul
true, I'm not specialist about various kinds of aesthetics used in dentistry ; just occasionally observed an ad sign a day before on a dental clinic.
@Kurt
There is no perfect regulated world, even in Germany that has quite good but still measured regulation very stupid things occasionally occurs like it was stampede at the LoveParade few years ago - that exposed profound stupidity both of city authorities and shocking narrow-mindless of police staff who just observed that stampede, without proper intervention.
Posted by
Sue
on
June 12, 2015 07:09
Sue, why don't you work for phukettwan,
you know so much about every think, that you don't leave 1 comment it's always about 3 or 4 and most of the time your comment are so silly.
Posted by
Sue 4 Boss
on
June 15, 2015 05:18
MoW 05:18 ICT
I'm curious, was it that you today have waken up so early in the morning on Phuket, or still taking a late morning ritual in Sydney of weekly getting off the accrued constipation, that somehow went excreted through your old flabby-fellatio-ready-grade mouth..?
..? :)
Posted by
Sue
on
June 15, 2015 06:33
Sue,
The Sue 4 boss, 05:18 is not me. You should have by now noticed I have changed and respect the time effort you spend commenting.
Posted by
MoW
on
June 15, 2015 07:36
Editor Comment:
A measure of why it's best to stick with one label, MoW. Otherwise there's confusion. Apologies to Sue, but it's impossible for me to keep up with name changes. Sometimes an idiot with a warped ego succeeds.
Sue and Manowar,
why you not change your phone numbers?
Posted by
Georg The Viking
on
June 15, 2015 09:49
Georg the V,
My wife already thinks PW is an online dating site!
Posted by
MoW
on
June 15, 2015 11:10
Krathom is eaten off the trees it has other herbal uses other than a stimulant. Not defending the idiots who mix it. Herbert As you have said lack of education is not only limited to Thailand
Posted by
Michael
on
June 16, 2015 11:49
Make all drugs legal stop taking peoples right to have fun and put anything they want in there bodys, they will do drugs anyway and better its out in the open than in a dark ally
Posted by
Michael Ronayne
on
July 5, 2015 20:42
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Are young people really this stupid? Why do they need these highs?
In my day as a teenager, a can or two of lager was considered daring!
Posted by Logic on June 9, 2015 21:41