Nitrous Oxide Use Doubles in One Year as “Harmless Party Drug” Shifts from Novelty to Dependency

CANAAN, CT — Nitrous oxide—commonly known as “laughing gas” or “whippits” and long associated with casual party use—has existed on the fringes of recreational use for decades. Now, according to new internal data from Mountainside Treatment Center, Mountainside treated more than twice as many clients for nitrous oxide use in 2025 compared to 2024, indicating a growing number of individuals developing dependency and seeking treatment for it.

Nitrous oxide is a colorless gas commonly used in medical settings for sedation and pain relief that, when inhaled recreationally, produces immediate dissociative effects including euphoria and a sense of calm. Once associated with fleeting novelty use and seemingly lighthearted social contexts like the recent whipped cream “whippits” trend, nitrous has quietly evolved into a substance of dependency—fueled by its legal accessibility, low perceived risk, and increasingly sophisticated marketing.

“This isn’t a fringe trend anymore,” said Daniel Sexton, Outpatient Program Manager at Mountainside. “What we’re seeing is a clear shift—from experimentation to repeated use, and from casual misuse to dependency.” 

Nitrous oxide is widely perceived as safe because it is legal, inexpensive, and sold openly as a culinary product—in addition to being stocked on the shelves of gas stations, convenience stores, and smoke shops. In recent years, however, nitrous oxide has increasingly been manufactured, repackaged, and marketed for recreational use—sold in large tanks, flavored varieties, and brightly colored canisters, often designed to appeal to teens and young adults.

The risk isn’t just what nitrous does to the body,” Sexton said. “It’s how harmless it appears. When something is easy to buy, socially minimized, and perceived as low-risk, escalation can happen quickly. We’ve even seen this with recent social media trends that have led to lasting consequences for those who didn’t understand the risks.”

Repeated or heavy use of nitrous oxide can lead to serious health consequences, including vitamin B12 depletion, neurological damage, nerve injury, cognitive impairment, and long-term mobility issues. Because the effects are intense but extremely short-lived, users may inhale repeatedly in a single session—accelerating both physical harm and psychological reliance.

“Unlike substances that carry immediate social stigma or legal consequences, nitrous often flies under the radar,” Sexton said. “All of these, coupled with an absence of accessible and consistent accountability measures make escalation easy—and intervention late.”

What begins as a novelty—something perceived as controllable or inconsequential—can quickly turn into compulsive, repetitive use, particularly when paired with anxiety, depression, or emotional distress.

Based on internal treatment data, Mountainside Treatment Center has identified a clear pattern in nitrous-related treatment admissions.  Between 2024 and 2025, the number of clients seeking treatment for nitrous oxide use at Mountainside more than doubled. While the sharp rise in admissions is the most notable shift, the data also reveals a consistent demographic pattern among those seeking care.

Clients presenting for nitrous-related treatment are predominantly young adults, with an average age between 23 and 28, and approximately 75% identifying as men. This same population is also driving increased use of new designer benzodiazepines, suggesting that nitrous use is emerging alongside broader changes in substance use behavior.

At the same time, broader substance trends are shifting. Mountainside’s longitudinal data shows that younger populations are increasingly more likely to develop cannabis addiction than alcohol dependence. More broadly, while fentanyl-related admissions have declined over the past several years, Mountainside has observed sharp increases in admissions related to unregulated “fringe drugs” such as kratom and nitrous oxide, pointing to growing reliance on drugs perceived as “safer” alternatives, despite serious long-term consequences.

Mountainside Treatment Center has a long history of identifying emerging substance risks early, often before they appear in treatment admissions or public health reporting.

Several years ago, Mountainside clinicians identified kratom—particularly concentrated extracts—as a substance of concern, at a time when it was still largely unknown or perceived as a natural supplement. Mountainside became one of the first treatment providers to develop a comprehensive, specialized approach to kratom use disorder and is now recognized as a leading authority in kratom addiction treatment and clinical research.

Mountainside clinicians say the current rise in nitrous-related treatment admissions reflects a similar pattern—one in which a substance long viewed as harmless begins to present with increasing frequency and severity in treatment settings.

“Our responsibility is to pay attention these shifts early,” Sexton said. “When substances change in how they’re marketed, accessed, and perceived, treatment settings are often where the consequences show up first. Nitrous is one of those moments, and ignoring it would be a mistake.”

As substance use continues to evolve, Mountainside is seeing growing risk tied to synthetic and unregulated substances that are increasingly potent, concentrated, and dangerous, including kratom extracts, inhalants, and emerging designer drugs. In response, Mountainside is emphasizing the importance of early recognition and public education as substance use patterns continue to change.

“What looks harmless today can become tomorrow’s crisis,” Sexton added. “Nitrous is another example of how quickly the landscape can change. If we wait until something is widely recognized as dangerous, we’re already behind.”

Mountainside believes that everyone is capable of achieving recovery. Our compassionate, best-in-class staff provides comprehensive treatment with a holistic approach for you and your loved ones—delivered inpatient, outpatient, or virtually. Since our founding in 1998, this approach has positively reshaped the lives of more than 20,000 alumni. We know that people don’t get sober to stop using; they get sober to start living. Mountainside has been nationally recognized as one of the first treatment centers to earn ASAM 3.7, Joint Commission, and CARF accreditations, affirming its leadership in substance use disorder and drug and alcohol treatment. Addiction isn’t a choice. Mountainside is.

We encourage you to learn more about how we do more and care more at mountainside.com.