World-famous rapper Kanye West has sent a legal notice to his dentist, accusing him of medical malpractice for causing West to become addicted to nitrous oxide, according to US media reports.
The letter, signed by lawyer Andrew Cherkasky and testified by West’s wife Bianca Censori, claims that Dr. Thomas Connelly, dubbed the “Father of Diamond Dentistry” by Rolling Stone magazine, encouraged West to use the gas unsupervised.
In the letter, Cherkasky claims that Dr. Connelly took advantage of West’s vulnerable state and charged him $50,000 a month for a “continuous supply” of nitrous oxide.
“You repeatedly injected or provided Ye with nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”) and/or other sedatives in doses and frequencies that lacked a legitimate dental or medical basis,” the letter reads. “Notably, you even delivered large ‘operating room-sized’ canisters of nitrous oxide to Ye’s private residences (including the one he shared with Ms. Censori), which effectively enabled and encouraged him to inhale nitrous oxide outside of any medical setting.”
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is not a controlled substance in the United States. However, the United Kingdom classified it as a Class C drug in 2023 under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. It is now a criminal offense to possess or sell it for recreational use, similar to anabolic steroids and some sedatives.
Although rare, deaths have been reported from long-term use, including a 2024 UK investigation that found laughing gas contributed to the death of a 24-year-old student.
A 2023 paper in the journal Addiction asks the question, “Does nitrous oxide addiction exist?” “The authors concluded that while nitrous oxide has traditionally been considered non-addictive, its recreational use is becoming more frequent worldwide and has been linked to both physical and mental health problems.
Studies have shown that the highest rates of nitrous oxide abuse are among adolescents and young adults, particularly those aged 21 to 26. A review published in Frontiers in Psychiatry found that males were the majority of users, and most had a history of multiple substance use.
Worryingly, higher rates of use have also been reported among health students. A 2023 French study found that 76.6% of students surveyed had tried nitrous oxide, and 7% met criteria for a substance use disorder.
The same study also found a strong link between nitrous oxide abuse and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
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