>> What about nitrous oxide? Not toxic, but also not addictive. A little
>> easier to OD on, but again, that's only if you're using a mask without
>> supervision--not intrinsic to the drug.
>>
>> John A
>
> Kills brain cells by depriving them of oxygen. Long-term exposure to
> high
> concentrations of nitrous oxide may cause megaloblastic bone-marrow
> depression and neurological symptoms. N2O also affects white blood cell
> production and function. Many anaesthesiologists believe that the
> potential
> dangers of N2O are so great that it should no longer be used at all
> for routine
> clinical anaesthesia.
Really? That's news to me--I've had nitrous for dental work within the last, oh, fifteen years. (I guess it's been a while.) I thought I understood that the dosage for intoxication or anesthesia was considerably below that for brain damage. Worth knowing, too.
John A