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LANSING, Mich. (News 10) – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is warning against the misuse of nitrous oxide after an increase in emergency responses and hospital visits involving people using the gas to get high.
Nitrous oxide is used safely in settings such as dental offices and whipped cream dispensers. Health officials say more people are misusing it recreationally, and it is leading to a growing number of emergency room visits.
Recreational nitrous oxide, known as “whippets,” is not new. Smoke shop sales associate Isabella Baker said the packaging has changed over time.
“It was huge in the 80s, it’s just that the look of it and the cans and all of that has changed from the 80s to now,” Baker said.
Baker said brands and canister sizes have also changed.
“The different kinds of brands and the sizes. Apparently in the 80s, when it was really big, it was the tiny (size) and obviously, now, sizes have gotten bigger,” Baker said.
State law and dangers of misuse
The state of Michigan outlawed the sale of nitrous oxide products made for recreational use in 2024. The products can still be sold for culinary use.
Dr. Jamie Alan, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University’s College of Medicine, said recreational use of nitrous oxide carries serious dangers. She said nitrous oxide administered at a dentist or doctor’s office is controlled, dosed and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, unlike products sold in smoke shops.
“The FDA doesn’t regulate these products in the smoke shops like they would a can of nitrous oxide that is being prescribed and given to you by a dentist or a physician,” Alan said.
“You don’t know what’s in there. It could be nitrous oxide, it could be contaminated with something else, and you just don’t know,” Alan said.
Alan said prolonged misuse can also cause lasting harm.
“Taking these temporarily or even at high doses long-term can set you up for a stroke because you’re removing the oxygen from everywhere, but potentially removing it from your brain which is a critical component,” Alan said.
Health emergencies on the rise
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said the number of nitrous oxide-related health emergencies increased from 10 in 2019 to 47 in 2025, and the department expects that number to rise this year.
The health department is urging parents, especially those with teenagers, to know what nitrous oxide products look like, understand the dangers and seek help early if they suspect misuse.
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