A Redding doctor is sounding alarms to city officials and health workers about recreational misuse of an old drug that put seven people in the hospital this autumn — five with spinal cord degenerated.
Neurologist Karen Garnaas approached city officials about health risks associated with recreation nitrous oxide use in Shasta County, prompting Management Assistant Jason Gibilisco at the City Manager’s Office to recommend the city council to consider regulating its sale.
An early anesthesia sometimes called laughing gas, Garnaas warned recreational use of nitrous oxide is on the rise and presents a serious danger to users neurological health, she told the city council at the Tuesday, Nov. 18 meeting.
People are “using it for a quick high,” she told council members. “Patients are not understanding how dangerous” inhaling nitrous oxide is.”
One of her patients can no longer walk without braces and can’t feel his feet, Garnaas said. Another told her she came from Humboldt County — where sale of the gas is restricted — to buy it here at Shasta County smoke shops and convenience stores.
The gas is sold in single 8-gram cartridges to 2.2 liter canisters, she said in a report to the city. When inhaled, nitrous oxide temporarily depletes the body of vitamin B12. That can lead to “severe health issues which include brain damage, spinal cord degeneration, weakness, numbness, balance problems and reduced oxygen levels,” according to the report.
Following Garnaas’ report to the council, Shasta County Health Officer Dr. James Mu reported the Health and Human Services Agency doesn’t track nitrous oxide use, but that Garnaas’ concerns are echoed by other North State doctors and medical professionals. Nitrous oxide-induced myeloneuropathy, a “disorder that affects both the spinal cord and peripheral nerves,” is a North State problem.
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The seven Redding area patients, ages 11 to 38, who were hospitalized with vitamin B12 deficiency this fall had used nitrous oxide recreationally, according to Garnaas, and cases are on the rise nationwide.
The FDA cautions people never to inhale nitrous oxide products marked in flavored and unflavored canisters. These are usually sold for culinary purposes, not for people to inhale. Still, the gas is popular with teens and at nightclubs worldwide, according to medical researchers.
As of Nov. 18, Redding police made 16 nitrous oxide-related arrests this year compared to eight in 2024, said Redding Police Chief Brian Barner at the meeting.
Here’s information about nitrous oxide and what Redding City Council members say they’ll do about it.
What is nitrous oxide?
Historically popular as a mild sedative for dental and other medical patients, nitrous oxide “is fast acting and wears off quickly.” That makes it excellent for medical use, the report said. The gas is also used by chefs to give texture to whipped cream.
But nitrous oxide is also sold in smoke shops and convenience stores, often in colorful packaging that can appeal to young people.
A combination of nitrogen and oxygen, nitrous oxide is a colorless gas that smells sweet and has a numbing effect on the body. Inhaling it absorbs it into the blood through the lungs. The bloodstream then moves it to the brain and nerve tissue. “The body can’t break the gas down, so it has to be completely breathed out through the lungs again,” according to a study out of Germany, shared by the National Library of Medicine in April, 2025.
Can inhaling nitrous oxide kill you?
Yes, according to the FDA: “Intentional misuse or inhalation of contents can lead to serious adverse health events, including death.”
But fatalities from nitrous oxide poisoning are an exception, according to the study. More often it causes brain and spinal damage. Even in small amounts, misusing and inhaling nitrous oxide can cause dizziness, headaches, nausea, hallucinations, vomiting, loss of balance and unconsciousness, the study reported.
Is it illegal to possess nitrous oxide?
According to the city’s report, “California Penal Code 381b makes it illegal” — a misdemeanor — “to possess or be under the influence of NO (nitrous oxide) for recreational purposes.”
However, the state doesn’t limit the sale of the gas for culinary purposes, the report said.
As well as medical uses, the gas is also used in industry and farming, according to the study.
What Redding and other Northern California cities are doing to stop nitrous oxide abuse
Redding City Council members decided Tuesday night to further research and consider an ordinance limiting sales of nitrous oxide at a future meeting. They’ll look into what other cities are doing to limit the sale of nitrous oxide in smoke shops and convenience stores.
If they eventually decide to regulate sales of the gas, they won’t be alone in the North State. Eureka, Arcata and Ferndale have ordinances regulating sales of nitrous oxide with some exceptions for medical professionals, vehicle mechanics and other specific uses, according to the city’s report.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica on Record Searchlight Facebook groups Get Out! Nor Cal , Today in Shasta County and Shaping Redding’s Future. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding doctor warns of nitrous oxide after laughing gas hospitalizes 7. What to know
Reporting by Jessica Skropanic, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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