NO LAUGHING MATTER

Nitrous Oxide in America

1,240

U.S. DEATHS 2010–2023

MEDIAN AGE AT DEATH

578%

INCREASE IN DEATHS

Of 1,240 documented deaths, only 30 have been publicly identified. The median victim was 22 years old. No federal agency regulates the recreational sale of nitrous oxide. Thirty-plus states are considering legislation. This site exists to put names on the numbers and research behind the bills.

THE CRISIS

State-level research briefings documenting the regulatory vacuum, health data gaps, and enforcement failures across the Southeast.

→ READ

THE PIPELINE

Interactive visualization tracing every step of the N₂O supply chain from Chinese factories to American smoke shops.

→ EXPLORE

THE MONEY

Financial analysis of a $400M–$1B unregulated market: factory-to-retail markups, penalty economics, and why penalties alone aren't enough.

→ FOLLOW THE MONEY

THE NAMES

A registry of every publicly documented nitrous oxide death and permanent injury case in the United States. 30 named deaths. 9 named survivors.

→ SEE THE NAMES