05/05/2026
LEADING THE NEWS
Social media is driving exposure, normalization of inhalant use among teenagers
HealthDay (5/4) reports two studies are “raising alarms about inhalants, which are often portrayed online as harmless while putting teens at real risk.” The first study, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, “reviewed 30 videos about nitrous oxide – often called ‘laughing gas’ – posted in early 2025. Those videos averaged 23 million views. Some showed how to use it, with no age restrictions or health warnings,” while other videos highlighted “how easy and accessible these substances can be for teens.” The second study, to be published in Preventive Medicine, “analyzed data from more than 33,000 teens who took part in a national survey on drug use between 2021 and 2023. Just 2.2% of teens reported using inhalants in the past year, but researchers said that’s more than a half-million U.S. adolescents.” Researchers found that “inhalant use was linked to behavioral problems like fighting and stealing.”