FDA warns of misuse of laughing gas sold in colorful, flavored canisters
[March 15, 2025]
By MATTHEW PERRONE
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials are tracking a rise in injuries
tied to the misuse of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, including some
brands that are sold in small canisters containing flavors like
blueberry, strawberry and watermelon.
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned consumers that
inhaling the gas for its euphoric effects can cause dangerously low
blood pressure, leading to loss of consciousness and injuries. The
agency flagged a number products sold in colorful packaging at gas
stations, vape shops and online including Cosmic Gas, Galaxy Gas and
MassGass.
Nitrous gas is traditionally used as a sedative for patients in dental
offices and hospitals. It's also found in pressurized cans of whipped
cream. But teens and adults have long misused those products to get
high. The gas can briefly disrupt oxygen flow to the brain.
Companies selling the products cited by regulators advertise them “for
culinary use only” and often include disclaimers on their websites
warning against inhaling. But videos of young people using the products
recreationally have circulated on social media platforms for years.
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A sign for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is displayed
outside their offices in Silver Spring, Md., Dec. 10, 2020. (AP
Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
 The FDA said it has seen “an
increase in reports of adverse events” with nitrous products. And
poison control centers have also reported emergency calls from
people who had to be rushed to the hospital after collapsing while
misusing the products.
There are no federal limits on who can purchase nitrous oxide,
although some states have passed minimum age requirements. The FDA
regulates the gas as a medical product when used by doctors and
dentists, although it's unclear how much oversight it would have of
products marketed for culinary use.
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