It’s not even a recognized disorder, yet nitrous oxide addiction is turning up in increasing numbers at emergency rooms nationwide. From 2003 to 2024, nitrous oxide poisonings reported nationwide have increased 14-fold.

In Connecticut, Dr. J. Craig Allen, Vice President of Addiction Services for Hartford Healthcare, tells NBC CT News nitrous oxide addiction is on the increase:

Our treatment centers have seen people that actually have developed substance use disorder with nitrous oxide.

Dr. Allen is particularly upset at the way social media glamorizes the use of nitrous oxide, or so-called “Whip-Its.” “It’s marketed — I’ll say marketed — on social media as something that’s fun and something that’s safe,” says Dr. Allen, who then lists some of the risks that come with excessive nitrous oxide use:

• numbness in the face, hands and feet
• problems with coordination and balance
• cognitive impairment
• psychiatric problems

NBC CT News points out that ingesting nitrous oxide can cause dizziness, drowsiness, slurred speech, blurred vision, headaches, and unconsciousness (passing out). InvestigativeTV in Portland, Oregon, on the other side of the country, interviewed a man who became paralyzed as a result of nitrous oxide addiction.

David Warwick was admitted to the emergency room unable to walk, with lesions up and down his spine. He spent a month in the hospital and a month in a nursing facility recovering the use of his legs. Dr. Courtney Temple at Oregon Health & Science University, and a medical toxicologist at the Oregon Poison Center, explains how nitrous oxide addiction works:

Recreational nitrous oxide use can damage the body’s myelin sheath, which insulates and protects nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Repeated use can injure the brain and the nerves. The Food and Drug Administration warns repeated inhalation of the gas can result in blood clots, frostbite, paralysis and brain damage.

The fact that excessive nitrous oxide use is referred to as “poisoning” rather than an addiction is an indicator of the confusion that surrounds treatment for the disorder. In an article for the journal Addiction, a team of researchers at the Neuroscience of Addiction Lab at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands, attempted to make the case for nitrous oxide abuse to become a recognized substance use disorder.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) lists 11 symptoms for substance use disorder (SUD). An SUD diagnosis requires at least two symptoms within a 12-month period. The severity of SUD is classified as mild (2-3 symptoms), moderate (4-5 symptoms), or severe (6+ symptoms).

The Dutch researchers found that nitrous oxide abuse fit the criteria for four of the symptoms of SUD. A search of the literature found that nitrous oxide abusers matched these four symptoms:

• they consumed more than intended
• they spent a substantial amount of time related to their use
• they experienced “interpersonal problems” as a result of their use
• they used nitrous oxide in risky situations, such as when driving motor vehicles

The researchers concluded that nitrous oxide “could well be addictive and should be treated as a potentially addictive substance.” They aren’t the only ones who think so. The Florida House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation aimed at curbing the recreational use of nitrous oxide. The bill subsequently passed the Florida Senate and is expected to get the Governor’s signature.

It is already illegal to sell nitrous oxide canisters, which are used to make whipped cream, to minors in Florida and other states. The new law would prohibit over-the-counter sales of nitrous oxide canisters in gas stations, quick marts, and other retail outlets.

Given the impacts caused by nitrous oxide abuse and the dangers of having people under the influence operating motor vehicles, more states should make it harder for children and motorists to get their hands on nitrous oxide.

Written by Steve O’Keefe. First published March 18, 2026.

Sources:

“Addiction centers seeing increased cases of nitrous oxide abuse,” NBC CT News, March 5, 2026.

“Nitrous oxide addiction: Man says he was paralyzed after one year of heavy use,” InvestigativeTV, March 6, 2026.

“Does nitrous oxide addiction exist? An evaluation of the evidence for the presence and prevalence of substance use disorder symptoms in recreational nitrous oxide users,” Addiction, October 30, 2023.

“Nitrous oxide restrictions pass Florida Legislature,” News Service of Florida, March 10, 2026.

Image courtesy of the Asheville Recovery Center, used under Creative Commons license.