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Medically reviewed by Danesh Alam MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Galaxy Gas and whippets are nitrous oxide, sold in flavored canisters and tanks as whipped cream propellant. The FDA warns people not to inhale any of them. Repeated use can disable vitamin B12 and damage the spinal cord and nerves, causing numbness, tingling, and trouble walking. Since October 1, 2026, Florida bars tobacco and nicotine dealers from selling it.
If someone has passed out, is struggling to breathe, or cannot be woken, call 911.
What is Galaxy Gas?
Galaxy Gas is one brand of nitrous oxide, the gas often called laughing gas. NIDA notes that nitrous oxide "is sold in small vials known as whippets or chargers." NIDA: Inhalants Newer products also come in larger tanks, many of them flavored.
In March 2025, the FDA warned consumers "not to inhale or recreationally use any flavor of nitrous oxide in any size canister, tank, or charger," because "these products can result in serious adverse health effects, including death." The agency said it had seen an increase in adverse event reports. Its June 2025 update lists brands including Galaxy Gas, Whip-it!, HOTWHIP, Cosmic Gas, and Miami Magic, and notes that these products are sold online, at smoke and vape shops, and at gas stations. FDA: Do not inhale nitrous oxide products
What are the side effects of nitrous oxide?
The FDA's list of problems from inhaling nitrous oxide includes headache, lightheadedness, loss of consciousness, palpitations, frostbite, blood clots, abnormal blood counts, numbness, tingling, limb weakness, trouble walking, bowel and bladder problems, paralysis, vitamin B12 deficiency, and psychiatric symptoms such as hallucinations, paranoia, and depression. In some cases, use is fatal. FDA: Do not inhale nitrous oxide products
Risk climbs with repeated use. A clinical review in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that a single, short exposure rarely causes serious harm, but "chronic use can cause neurotoxicity that is often not fully reversible." CMAJ: Toxicity of recreational nitrous oxide No safe level of use has been defined.
How does nitrous oxide damage nerves?
Nitrous oxide disables vitamin B12 inside the body. The CMAJ review explains that it chemically inactivates the active form of B12, which blocks an enzyme the body needs to make myelin, the protective coating around nerves. CMAJ: Toxicity of recreational nitrous oxide
That damage shows up in a few ways:
- Subacute combined degeneration. This is damage to the spinal cord, usually in the neck. It is the most commonly reported complication.
- Peripheral neuropathy. This is damage to the nerves of the arms and legs, often affecting strength as well as feeling.
- Encephalopathy. Less often, the brain is affected, and the first signs may be psychiatric symptoms.
A systematic review of 115 case series and case reports found that people affected were typically in their 20s, and that numbness and other sensory changes, unsteady walking, and weakness were the characteristic signs. Emergency Medicine Australasia: Chronic nitrous oxide misuse Teens are not exempt. A 2026 multicenter case series of 59 adolescents aged 14 to 18 with nitrous-oxide-related nerve damage found that every one had neurological complaints, mostly sensory. European Journal of Pediatrics: Nitrous oxide myeloneuropathy in adolescents
A normal B12 blood test does not rule this out. In the adolescent case series, B12 was low in only 45% of patients, while other markers of B12 dysfunction were raised in 92%. Taking B12 supplements does not make use safe, either. The CMAJ authors note that nerve damage "is well described despite use of B12 supplements," and that stopping nitrous oxide is the only reliable way to prevent it.
What signs might families notice?
The most common nerve signs are new numbness or tingling, weakness, and unsteady walking. Nerve symptoms often develop over weeks to months of use, and the legs are usually hit harder than the arms. CMAJ: Toxicity of recreational nitrous oxide
Watch for:
- Numbness, tingling, or "pins and needles" in the feet, legs, or hands
- Stumbling, poor balance, or a change in the way someone walks
- New weakness in the legs or arms
- Trouble controlling the bladder or bowels
- New confusion, paranoia, hallucinations, or a sudden drop in mood
- Small metal chargers or flavored nitrous oxide tanks among their belongings
Any of these in a teen or young adult deserves a prompt medical visit. Tell the doctor about possible nitrous oxide use. The CDC notes that "no reliable screening test for nitrous oxide is available," so the history you give matters. CDC MMWR: Recreational nitrous oxide misuse, Michigan
Nerve symptoms need a physician first. Most people improve at least partly once use stops and treatment begins, but the CMAJ review reports that more than a third of hospitalized patients still had nerve symptoms months later. Earlier care matters.
Is nitrous oxide a mental health and addiction issue too?
Yes. Psychiatric symptoms are a documented effect, and heavy, repeated use can become hard to stop.
A review of 31 patients with nitrous oxide-related psychiatric symptoms found that hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia were the most common. About half had no nerve symptoms at all, and many had normal B12 levels. Clinical Toxicology: Psychiatric symptoms in nitrous oxide users A 2026 review of 20 people hospitalized for psychosis linked to nitrous oxide found that most had a prior substance use disorder and had been using more and more before the episode. Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience: Nitrous oxide and psychosis
The research on dependence is still mixed. A 2025 review concluded that nitrous oxide has the potential to foster psychological dependence, seen mainly as loss of control and neglecting other parts of life, while physical withdrawal has not been clearly shown. Der Nervenarzt: Nitrous oxide and dependence criteria NIDA reports that many people who use inhalants describe "a strong need to continue using them even if they wish to stop." NIDA: Inhalants
That is why the CMAJ review recommends considering addiction medicine and psychiatric, psychological, and social support for people who are struggling to quit. When depression, anxiety, or another condition is part of the picture, dual diagnosis treatment addresses both at once.
How many people die from nitrous oxide?
Deaths are uncommon but real. An analysis of CDC death certificate data found 156 nitrous oxide poisoning deaths among Americans aged 15 to 74 in 2023, up from 23 in 2010. The rate rose steadily through 2018 and has stayed roughly level since. The authors note that deaths may be undercounted. JAMA Network Open: US nitrous oxide mortality
In Michigan, nitrous oxide events in 2023 were "four to five times those in 2019," with emergency department visits rising from 7 to 60. Events were most common among people aged 20 to 39. CDC MMWR: Recreational nitrous oxide misuse, Michigan Our look at college substance use trends covers this age group more broadly.
Is nitrous oxide illegal in Florida?
Inhaling nitrous oxide to get high is illegal in Florida, and since October 1, 2026, stores licensed to sell tobacco or nicotine cannot sell it.
Florida law makes it unlawful to inhale nitrous oxide, or possess it intending to inhale it, "for the purpose of inducing a condition of intoxication." That is a second-degree misdemeanor. Knowingly selling, distributing, buying, or possessing more than 16 grams is a third-degree felony called "unlawful distribution of nitrous oxide." Medical, dental, and food-processing uses are exempt. Florida Statutes 877.111
What does Meg's Law do?
The 2026 law, CS/SB 432 (chapter 2026-148), creates a new statute known as "Meg's Law." Laws of Florida, ch. 2026-148 It makes it a third-degree felony for a dealer licensed under Florida's tobacco and nicotine chapter, or its employees, to possess, sell, deliver, or give away nitrous oxide on or from the licensed premises. Florida Statutes 569.216 That reaches many smoke shops, vape shops, and gas station convenience stores.
The law has limits:
- Grocery stores and supermarkets are exempt, but convenience businesses are covered.
- Ready-made food products that use nitrous oxide only as a propellant, such as canned whipped cream, are exempt.
- It sets no age limit and creates no new penalty for buyers.
- The Department of Business and Professional Regulation must write rules to prevent nitrous oxide from being used for intoxication.
The nitrous oxide section took effect October 1, 2026. The same act also changed Florida's xylazine laws, which we cover in our guide to xylazine and nitazenes.
According to the Florida Senate's bill analysis, the law is named for Meg Caldwell, a young woman whose death drew attention to the risks of nitrous oxide use. Her family later filed a lawsuit seeking to restrict sales. Florida Senate: CS/SB 432 bill analysis
Nitrous oxide is not the only risky smoke shop product. Our guide to 7-OH, an opioid-like compound sold in smoke shops, covers another.
Frequently asked questions
Are whippets and Galaxy Gas the same thing?
Both are nitrous oxide. Whippets usually means the small metal chargers sold for whipped cream dispensers; Galaxy Gas is one of several flavored brands named in the FDA's warning. The FDA advises against inhaling any of them.
Can nerve damage from nitrous oxide be reversed?
Often partly. Most people improve once they stop using and get medical treatment, but more than a third of hospitalized patients in one review still had symptoms months later. Earlier diagnosis gives the best chance.
Do B12 supplements prevent nitrous oxide damage?
No. Nerve damage has been documented in people who took B12 supplements. Stopping nitrous oxide is the only reliable way to prevent it.
Is nitrous oxide addictive?
Research is mixed. Heavy, repeated use can become hard to control, and researchers describe a potential for psychological dependence. Clear physical withdrawal has not been established.
What should I do if I think my teen is using nitrous oxide?
Start with a calm, private conversation. Our guide to talking with your teen about treatment can help you prepare. If your teen has numbness, tingling, or trouble walking, see a doctor promptly and mention nitrous oxide.
Getting help at Ambrosia
Ambrosia's inhalant addiction treatment program in West Palm Beach begins with a thorough assessment, including screening for other substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions.
For teens ages 13 to 17, The Academy at Ambrosia in Port St. Lucie provides adolescent substance use treatment with residential, PHP, and IOP care, family involvement, and education support. When a teen's main struggles are emotional or behavioral, Neuroscience Institute for Adolescents (NIA), also in Port St. Lucie, provides adolescent mental health care. Our parent's guide to adolescent levels of care explains how residential, PHP, and IOP differ.
For free, confidential treatment referrals at any hour, call SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357, in English or Spanish. SAMHSA: National Helpline If you or someone you love is in emotional crisis, call or text 988. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline