Four Deaths Resulting from Abuse of Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide is a weak anesthetic gas, used alone for dental work and as an adjunct to more potent anesthetics in major surgical procedures. It is the only inorganic gas that is practical for clinical anesthesia. Like all the anesthetic drugs, nitrous oxide has been subject to abuse. Unlike the other anesthetic agents, where the abuse is almost exclusively by medical personnel, nitrous oxide has been abused by the general public.