RECALL: Product misuse linked to paralysis and death in Canada [Video]

Health Canada has issued a warning urging consumers not to inhale nitrous oxide products recreationally, citing serious health risks as authorities crack down on illegal sales and imports.

Often referred to by street names like “laughing gas,” “whippets,” “hippy crack,” “NOS,” and “nang,” nitrous oxide is sometimes misused by inhaling it directly from food-related tools like whipped cream chargers or pressurized canisters.

Health Canada emphasizes that these products are not meant to be inhaled and are regulated as drugs when sold for human consumption.

While nitrous oxide can be safely administered by licensed healthcare professionals in medical and dental settings for sedation and pain relief, recreational inhalation—commonly known as “huffing”—can lead to loss of consciousness, birth defects, nerve damage, heart attack, stroke and in extreme cases, death.

The agency warns that repeated use may result in long-term neurological damage, including spinal cord degeneration, numbness and permanent paralysis. There is also …