NO LAUGHING MATTER

Nitrous Oxide in America
1,240
U.S. DEATHS 2010–2023
22
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.
01
THE CRISIS
State-level research briefings documenting the regulatory vacuum, health data gaps, and enforcement failures across the Southeast.
→ READ
02
THE PIPELINE
Interactive visualization tracing every step of the N₂O supply chain from Chinese factories to American smoke shops.
→ EXPLORE
03
THE MONEY
Financial analysis of a $400M–$1B unregulated market: factory-to-retail markups, penalty economics, and why a $100 fine changes nothing.
→ FOLLOW THE MONEY
04
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
05
THE RESEARCH
All seven briefing documents, 259 archived sources, and the complete evidentiary record behind this project.
→ VIEW ALL DOCUMENTS
All claims sourced to court records, federal statutes, peer-reviewed research, or major news investigations.
All sources archived via Wayback Machine.
Prepared in support of S.751 — SC Senate Judiciary Committee.