Did You Know That Laughing Gas Can Damage The Spinal Cord?

Its Chemical Name Is Nitrous Oxide

Doctors Use It As An Anesthetic During Medical Procedures

Some People Also Inhale It To Get High

Researchers Described Seven Young Adults Whose Spinal Cords It Damaged

All Seven Had Been Inhaling It Every Day For Weeks

The Researchers Think The Gas Stops Vitamin B12 From Working

Yet Three Of The Seven Still Had Normal Levels

THIS NEWSLETTER IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. NOTHING IN THIS CONTENT CONSTITUTES MEDICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, OR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. ALWAYS CONSULT A QUALIFIED HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL BEFORE MAKING ANY HEALTH RELATED DECISIONS.

OKAY BACK FROM THE CORNER SHOP 🏪

Researchers Published New Nitrous Oxide Mortality Data In 2025

The Findings Appeared In JAMA Network Open

Every Death In The Count Came From A Death Certificate

The Certificates Were Drawn From A CDC Database Called WONDER

Those Records Covered US Residents Aged 15 To 74 From 2010 To 2023

Across Those Years Nitrous Oxide Poisoning Caused 1,240 Deaths

Deaths Rose From 23 In 2010 To 127 In 2018

The Death Rate Also Rose During That Period

On Average It Grew 24.5 Percent A Year

The Increase Was Statistically Significant

Next The Researchers Looked At 2019 Through 2023

Deaths Were 149 In 2019 And 156 In 2023

The Average Yearly Change In That Stretch Was 3.6 Percent

That Change Was Not Statistically Significant

So The Death Rate Plateaued After 2019 Instead Of Climbing

The Researchers Also Say Emergency Visits For Misuse Are Rising

Their Count Covered Deaths Only And Not How Many People Use The Gas

In 2023 The Death Rate Was 0.0622 Per 100,000 People

Healthy Nerves Need B12 To Build Myelin Properly

Nitrous Oxide Changes The Cobalt Inside Vitamin B12

This Reaction Is Oxidation And It Cannot Be Reversed

Altered B12 Can No Longer Assist An Enzyme Called Methionine Synthase

That Enzyme Is Critical For Making DNA And Myelin

Losing Working B12 Is Thought To Be What Damages The Spinal Cord

Doctors Call That Injury Subacute Combined Degeneration

Damage To Other Nerves May Be Tied More To Low Oxygen

A German Hospital Treated Seven Patients With This Spinal Cord Injury

The Cases Were Published In Neurological Research And Practice In 2025

This Case Series Covers One Hospital And Not A Large Population

The Seven Patients Were One Woman And Six Men

Their Median Age Was 24

Symptoms Began After A Median Of 12 Weeks Of Daily Use

Spinal Scans Showed Changes In The Back Of The Cord In All Seven

Nerve Tests Also Found Damage To Other Nerves In Six Of Them

B12 Was Low In Four Patients And Normal In The Other Three

The Authors Say A Normal B12 Level Does Not Rule Out This Injury

Methylmalonic Acid Levels Were High In All Seven

Five Of Them Could Be Examined Again Later

Each Still Had Deficits A Median Of Five Months After Onset

Quitting The Gas And Taking B12 Led To Some Improvement

Governments Have Responded To Nitrous Oxide In Different Ways

The United Kingdom Now Controls It As A Drug

Nitrous Oxide Was Added To The Misuse Of Drugs Act 1971

The Change Placed It In Class C

That Act Lists Class C Drugs In Schedule 2

The Legal Order Behind The Change Was Made On 11 October 2023

It Took Effect On 8 November 2023

Repeat Serious Offenders Can Face Up To Two Years In Prison

Oregon In The United States Took A Narrower Approach

The Law There Is Oregon Revised Statute 475.390

It Covers Stores That Sell Nitrous Oxide Canisters

Those Stores Cannot Sell A Canister To Anyone Under 18

The Rule Does Not Apply If The Seller Checks ID First

It Limits Sales To Minors And Does Not Ban Use

The Two Laws Do Not Target The Same Thing

Oregon Law Restricts Who Can Buy The Gas

UK Law Made Possessing It To Get High A Crime

This Comparison Covers Only The UK And Oregon