Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is widely used in the medical and food industries, most notably in whipped cream dispensers.
But beyond its legal applications, the gas is increasingly being abused for its short-lived euphoric high, a trend that has sparked growing concerns among medical experts in Michigan.
Dr. Varun Vohra, a clinical toxicologist with the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center, has been tracking a surge in nitrous oxide-related health complications.
“We were getting a lot of calls related to nitrous oxide or cases that were consistent with nitrous oxide abuse,” said Dr. Vohra at one of his teaching classrooms inside Wayne State University.
His research at Wayne State University’s School of Medicine found that emergency room visits related to nitrous oxide misuse in Michigan spiked by 132% from 2022 to 2023. The hardest-hit areas include Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, with most cases involving adults between the ages of 20 and 39.
According to Dr. Vohra, one primary reason for this surge is the availability and legality of nitrous oxide.
The gas is widely sold at gas stations, smoke shops, and online, often in canisters labeled for food purposes only. Despite these warnings, many consumers clearly use the product recreationally.
A clerk at a Detroit smoke shop confirmed that customers are not purchasing nitrous oxide for cooking.
“There needs to be a lot done in terms of regulatory control of its accessibility and legality,” said Dr. Vohra.
The abuse of nitrous oxide carries serious health risks, including nerve damage, paralysis, and even life-threatening conditions.
Dr. Brandtly Yakey, an emergency room physician at Henry Ford Health and medical toxicologist at the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center, has seen a shocking rise in severe cases.
“We’ve seen otherwise young, healthy patients come in with pretty devastating effects, such as stroke, heart attack, blood clots in their legs and lungs that we believe are related to nitrous oxide use,” said Dr. Yakey inside one of the teaching emergency rooms at Henry Ford Health in Detroit.
In severe cases, prolonged exposure can lead to permanent damage to the brain and spinal cord, according to Dr. Yakey.
“There are cases where it’s well documented that nitrous oxide use has caused permanent damage,” said Dr. Yakey.
Despite the alarming data, researchers say the true scale of nitrous oxide abuse remains largely unknown.
Many medical professionals are only now beginning to screen patients for nitrous oxide-related complications.
“As we start screening for these toxicities and asking patients directly if they’re using nitrous oxide, I think we’re going to be discovering more and more cases,” Dr. Yakey said.
With the rising number of emergency room visits and the ease of access to nitrous oxide, medical experts are calling for stricter regulations to curb its misuse before more lives are impacted.
