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Calls to regulate Nitrous Oxide
FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis shares the stark warning from the FDA as recreational use of a "laughing gas" is on the rise.
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a stark warning about the recreational use of nitrous oxide. The substance, best known for its medical use as laughing gas or for making whipped cream, has increasingly been sold in small canisters that are easy to find both online and in local smoke shops, convenience stores, and gas stations.
Known on the street as "whippets," "hippy crack," or simply "nitro," the gas gives users a brief, euphoric high. But health experts warn the risks are severe.
By the numbers:
More than 10 million people reported using nitrous oxide recreationally in 2023.
That same year, the gas was linked to 150 deaths in the U.S.
The dangers
Unlike medical use, where nitrous oxide is carefully mixed with oxygen—inhaled nitrous oxide from canisters is unregulated. According to Dr. Steven Goldberg, Chief Medical Officer at HealthTrackRx, misuse can lead to:
- Neurological injury
- Paralysis
- Memory loss
- Hallucinations
- Reproductive health issues
- Even frostbite from mishandling pressurized canisters
READ: Screwworm confirmed in US with first human case reported in Maryland: CDC
What's next:
Some states and cities are beginning to act. New York passed a law in 2022 requiring buyers to be at least 21 years old to purchase nitrous oxide cartridges, and Aurora, Colorado, banned sales entirely earlier this month.
Meanwhile, the FDA flagged Walmart for selling nitrous oxide products online, but they appear to have since been removed.
The Source: This story is based on recent warnings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, expert commentary from Dr. Steven Goldberg of HealthTrackRx and reporting by FOX 13 News.