Source link : https://usa365.info/nitrous-oxide-recreational-use-is-linked-to-brain-damage-and-sudden-death-%E2%88%92-but-laughing-gas-is-still-sold-all-over-the-us/
Nitrous oxide is often inhaled with a balloon. Matt Cardy/Getty Images News
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning Americans about the ever-increasing and potentially deadly recreational use of nitrous oxide products, particularly among young people.
Marketed with names like “Galaxy Gas” and “Miami Magic,” and often sold in steel cartridges known as “whippets,” these products are cheap and readily available at gas stations, convenience stores, smoke shops and major retail outlets, including Walmart. They’re also sold online.
As an assistant professor of public health who studies these products, I’m aware of how dangerous they can be.
Recreational and continued use of nitrous oxide can cause a wide range of serious health problems, and in some cases, death.
A long list of potential harms
The list of serious side effects from frequent use is long. It includes: cognitive impairment, memory problems, hallucinations, headaches, lightheadedness, mood disturbances, blood clots, limb weakness, trouble walking, peripheral neuropathy, impaired bowel or bladder function, spinal cord degeneration and irreversible brain damage. Vitamin B-12 deficiency is common and can lead to nerve and brain damage.
Deaths in the U.S. attributed to abuse of nitrous oxide jumped more than 100% between 2019 and 2023; over a five-year period, emergency department visits rose 32%.
All told, more than 13 million Americans have misused nitrous oxide at least once during their…
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Author : USA365
Publish date : 2025-05-09 17:20:00
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