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. Image 1 of 2 ▼

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

See Full Page