Nitrous oxide is a colorless gas that people sometimes call “laughing gas.” It is used in several legal and appropriate ways, including:
- Medical and dental care: Dentists and doctors sometimes give nitrous oxide to help people relax and feel less pain during procedures. It works fast and wears off quickly.
- Whipped cream and food: It is used inside whipped cream chargers to make the cream fluffy.
- Industry and science: Nitrous oxide can be used in engines and lab settings, though these are not things most people deal with daily.
Why People Might Misuse It
Some people inhale nitrous oxide to get a brief “high” or feel relaxed or happy for a short time. This is sometimes done by filling balloons with the gas and breathing from them. When people use nitrous oxide this way, they may call it “laughing gas” or “whip-its.”
Possible Health Effects
Nitrous oxide can be dangerous when misused. Even a first-time use can unexpectedly cause serious problems, especially if someone doesn’t breathe enough air along with it.
The risks include:
- Less oxygen to the brain: Breathing nitrous oxide instead of air means your lungs get less oxygen. This can make you dizzy, pass out and fall, or even die in extreme cases.
- Short-term effects: People can feel dizzy, light-headed, confused, or have trouble balancing. Some feel sick to their stomachs or get headaches.
- Long-term or heavy use: Using nitrous oxide over and over can hurt the nerves in your body. It can cause tingling or numbness in hands and feet, problems walking, memory issues, and even serious nerve injury.
- Vitamin B12 problems: Nitrous oxide can stop your body from using vitamin B12 correctly. This vitamin is needed for healthy nerves, so B12 problems can lead to nerve damage.
- Physical harm: Inhaling directly from a pressurized canister can cause cold burns or frostbite to your mouth and lungs.
- Some people develop uncontrolled use or problems stopping. This can lead to harmful, long-term effects or unsafe behaviors (such as driving “under the influence”).
Legal and Safety Issues
Nitrous oxide is legal for certain uses, like in medical settings and for food products, but inhaling it on purpose to get high is unsafe.
In California, it is illegal to sell, give away, possess or use nitrous oxide for recreational uses. It is also illegal to be “under the influence” of nitrous oxide outside of a legitimate medical or dental setting.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health is aware of the sale of cannisters of nitrous oxide in San Francisco, including at or around music venues. The Department of Public Health is informing the public about the risks of nitrous oxide, given the short-term and long-term effects and discouraging its use and sales outside of appropriate contexts.
What You Can Do
The safest choice is not to use nitrous oxide unless for an appropriate, often medical or dental, purpose. Using it outside of these settings to get high is risky.
Call the California Poison Control Center if you are experiencing any concerns. It is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-222-1222.