Rare but relevant: Nitrous oxide and peripheral neurotoxicity, what do we know?

Nitrous oxide (NO), used medically as an anaesthetic, has gained popularity as a recreational drug, with rising prevalence particularly among young adults. While its reinforcing and addictive potential remains debated, NO is proven to be neurotoxic, especially with prolonged, heavy use, which is often unexpected for users. The neurotoxicological mechanism underlying NO-induced neurotoxicity involves inactivation of vitamin B (cobalamin), which disrupts methionine synthesis, essential for maintaining the myelin sheath.

Challenges and support needs among persons with a migration background who use drugs in four European metropolitan cities.

Background: Persons who migrate for economic reasons, along with asylum seekers and refugees, face multiple personal experiences and societal inequalities that increase the risk of mental health problems and substance dependency, compounded by intersectional social and economic vulnerabilities. The precarious situation and limited access to care of persons with a migration background who use drugs (PMWUD) in Europe raises concern. Therefore, this qualitative study explores the challenges and support needs of a sample of PMWUD in vulnerable situations living in Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin and Paris.

Treatment Seeking Nitrous Oxide Users in Addiction Care: A Comparison with Cocaine Users on Clinical and Treatment Characteristics.

Introduction: Over the past decade, frequent use of large quantities of nitrous oxide (N2O) has become more common in the Netherlands. Although N2O poses several negative health consequences for a subgroup of problematic N2O users, there is a lack of knowledge on what characterizes these intensive users. This study therefore aims to provide the demographic and substance use characteristics and experiences during treatment of treatment seeking problematic N2O users and to compare this with a matched group of treatment-seeking problematic cocaine users.

Cardiovascular Risks of Simultaneous Use of Alcohol and Cocaine-A Systematic Review.

: The simultaneous use of cocaine and alcohol is highly prevalent and is associated with high numbers of emergency department admissions, primarily due to cardiovascular complications. Aims: To answer the question of whether the co-use of cocaine and alcohol increases the cardiovascular risk compared to the use of cocaine alone. : A systematic review of human studies comparing the cardiovascular risk of co-used cocaine and alcohol with the use of cocaine alone.