Michigan Health Leaders Highlight Growing Concerns About Recreational Nitrous Oxide Misuse
Dr. Varun Vohra, Senior & Academic Director and clinical toxicologist with the Michigan Poison & Drug Information Center (MiPDC), recently joined three other Michigan health care leaders in an opinion piece published by The Detroit News addressing the growing misuse of nitrous oxide in Michigan.
In the Oct. 7 op-ed, Dr. Vohra, Drs. Matt Dellaquila and Eric Reilly of the Michigan Society of Anesthesiologists, and Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan's chief medical executive, highlight the serious health consequences associated with recreational nitrous oxide misuse and call attention to the need for stronger consumer safeguards.
Michigan-specific data demonstrate the growing impact of this emerging public health concern. From 2019 to 2023, poison center calls related to recreational nitrous oxide misuse increased 380%, while emergency medical service responses increased 420% and emergency department visits increased 757%. More recent MiPDC data identified 112 cases of intentional recreational nitrous oxide misuse between January 2024 and May 2026, with 99 people presenting to a hospital and 38 requiring hospital admission, with 10 requiring intensive care.
The op-ed also highlights the potentially serious and lasting effects of nitrous oxide misuse, including severe neurological injury, blood clots, psychiatric complications, oxygen deprivation, frostbite, and other life-threatening injuries. The authors encourage policymakers to consider measures that could help reduce access to products marketed for recreational use and better protect consumers.
Read the full opinion piece: Nitrous oxide misuse is rising. Michigan lawmakers must act in The Detroit News.
For more information about the health risks associated with recreational nitrous oxide use and what Michigan families should know, read the MiPDC article Nitrous Oxide Dangers: What Michigan Families Need to Know.
