State health officials are warning about the misuse of a common product that is sending a growing number of Michiganders to the hospital.
Nitrous oxide has medical and culinary uses. But is also marketed for recreational use in grocery stores, smoke shops, vape stores, gas stations, convenience stores, and online.
“These products are often sold openly and may be marketed as legal or low risk, people may underestimate the real dangers,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical executive.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said in recent decades, recreational nitrous oxide use has grown.
MDHHS says the use of ‘laughing gas” or “whippets” has expanded into a much larger public health concern due to the widespread availability of larger, high-volume canisters.
Health officials are concerned that when used without trained supervision, the recreational use of nitrous oxide can quickly become dangerous and even life-threatening.
“It is deeply concerning that nitrous oxide – a drug we use in monitored medical settings to provide safe, comfortable care for children and other vulnerable patients – is being sold and used as a recreational substance,” said Dr. Matt Dellaquila, president of the Michigan Society of Anesthesiologists.
According to the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center, there’s been a sharp increase in nitrous oxide-related health emergencies in recent years.
Of the 112 cases identified between 2024 and May 2026, 34% required admission to a hospital and 7% required admission to an intensive care unit.
MDHHS said nearly half of all reported cases resulted in medically significant outcomes, including numbness, tingling in the hands or feet, trouble walking and balance issues, confusion and anxiety, and passing out.
State health officials said anyone who notices concerning symptoms after using nitrous oxide should stop immediately and seek medical care.
