Key points

N₂O is increasingly misused as a recreational inhalant.

Nitrous oxide deaths in the United States spiked 500%+ from 2010-2023.

Like ketamine, N₂O is being evaluated in treating depression.

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is used in medicine for analgesia and anesthesia. It is also used as a propellant for whipped cream canisters. Legally available in many jurisdictions with few restrictions, nitrous oxide has a well-known safety profile in acute short-term use, such as dentistry and obstetrics. In addition, clinical trials indicate the drug may relieve major depression . But nitrous oxide has a down side: increasing numbers of teens/young adults abuse this drug. In 2024, 29-year-old Floridian Margaret Caldwell died outside a vape show of long-term nitrous oxide abuse.

Nitrous oxide

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