Recreational Use of Laughing Gas Could Be Deadly, Health Canada Warns

Health Canada has issued a warning regarding the recreational use of laughing gas, also known as nitrous oxide, due to "serious health risks." Health Canada photo

Health Canada is cautioning the public against the purchase and recreational use of nitrous oxide, more commonly known as laughing gas, saying it can result in serious side effects, including death.

Nitrous oxide products are appearing in both online and brick-and-mortar stores, marketed as “whipped cream chargers” in an assortment of flavours, the federal health agency said in a recent advisory.

“Advertising and selling nitrous oxide products for inhalation to the public is strictly prohibited,” Health Canada said, noting that many such products are “deceptively labelled.”

Some of the nitrous oxide products confiscated by border security were labelled under brand names such as Bamboozle and Need Whip. Health Canada photo

Many of the products are appearing in large containers that consumers would not normally associate with whipped cream, and in stores that typically do not stock whipped cream chargers, the agency said.

Several unauthorized products have been seized by Health Canada with the help of border officers to stop unauthorized shipments from entering the country. Some of the confiscated products were labelled under brand names such as “Bamboozle,” “Need Whip,” and “Space Gas.”

“Health Canada has not reviewed these products, which are regulated as drugs, for safety, efficacy or quality,” the agency said. “Also, they could be contaminated in ways that create additional health risks when inhaled.”

The federal agency said it will continue in its efforts to stop the sale of such unauthorized products as well as collaborate with the Canada Border Services Agency to help prevent additional importations.

Nitrous Oxide Dangers

Nitrous oxide is a substance that should exclusively be administered by a licensed health-care provider for sedation and pain management during medical and dental procedures, the agency said.

The drug has various street names, such as “whippets,” “hippy crack,” “NOS,” and “nang,” the advisory said. When inhaled—or “huffed”—it can cause euphoria and relaxation as well as serious adverse effects ranging from loss of consciousness to death.

It can also cause tingling, numbness, confusion, agitation, delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, and depression as well as increased heart rate, palpitations, low blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.

Other side effects include birth defects, impaired bowel and bladder function, asphyxia, blood clots, nerve damage, spinal cord degeneration, prolonged pain and, in severe cases, permanent paralysis.

“Repeated use increases the likelihood of severe outcomes and may result in lasting neurological damage, even after stopping use,” Heath Canada said. “Regular use can also lead to addiction and withdrawal symptoms.”

In instances of inhalation, the health agency recommends seeking immediate medical attention from a health-care provider.